Hanging in the Balance
by Tarantallegra13
Summary: AH Slightly OOC, Bella is kidnapped by people after Edward's money. He fights to get her back at all costs...putting everything they have at risk. Their love story is told through Edward's flashbacks. R&R Please!
1. Chapter 1

Kidnapped/Meeting

I slammed my fists down on the desk and held my head in my hands.

"Where the hell is she?" I muttered to myself.

I felt I couldn't do anything. I lost my joy, the one woman in the world who meant more than all the money and material objects I once loved. Those bastards had stolen my life. Now I was going to use all of my power to get her back. Thankfully, I was not one of those men with no resources; I was one of the most powerful men in the world, and if I had to destroy the world to get her back, I would do it. I would have done anything for her the second after our eyes met at that party five years ago; the second I realized that she wasn't one of the many women I had met since making my millions in the investment industry.

I was downing a drink trying to numb my brain from all the meaningless conversations. I didn't know why I was even here; I hated these parties more than anything. Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I slowly turned towards them. I figured it was another meaningless fellow investor there to talk strategy or a gold digger looking for a good time; hell, they were easy to find here since most investors were virgins until they got rich, and then the women came running. Not to say I didn't find them fun, but the meaningless good times were well, meaningless.

The second I met the eyes of the woman who tapped me, I saw something completely different, they were a striking blue and she was quite sure of herself. She was dressed nicely, it was a cocktail party, but she was classier than most of the girls here seeing as the neckline of her dress didn't go down to her waist.

"Hello, my name is Mr. Masen. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss…?"

"Swan. Although most people call me Bella."

I chuckled, "Yes, I personally dislike the formalities as well; I much prefer to go by Edward."

"Delighted to meet you, Edward. I actually did have a reason for tapping you on the shoulder though."

I tilted my head slightly and she continued, "I was wondering if you might give me a lift home; my ride seems to have been distracted by the amount of available rich men in the room and she will not be in any condition to drive herself, let alone me as well."

"And you determined that you could trust me how?"

"You don't have a drunken woman lying all over you."

"I suppose I could have my driver take a detour on the way back to my place."

"When were you planning on leaving?"

I sighed to myself as I surveyed the party, "Now seems like a good time to bow out, seeing as how half the party is drunk and the other half is attempting to get laid."

I motioned for her to follow me and they walked to the front door. A woman stumbled out of the bathroom in the hallway, teetering on six-inch heels and crashed into me. I quickly grabbed her before she could hit the ground. She swayed in my arms and giggled foolishly as I tried to get her to stand on her own. She was so drunk that she eventually was leaned against the wall when I finally let go of her.

"Don't you wanna make sure I get home ok tonight?" she asked me.

"I am sure there are plenty of gentlemen in the other room who would love to escort you home." I never let a hint of distaste into my voice although the look I had in my eyes showed that I really didn't care for this woman who was clearly trying to throw herself at me. She looked dejected for a second before stumbling into the room to find a half drunk man who would do what I had refused to.

I turned back to Bella and placed my hand out. She smiled slightly and took it, walking out to my car. She gave the driver her address and got into the back of his limo with me.

"So if you don't mind my asking, why exactly did you come to this party?"

"My friend thinks I don't get out enough so she dragged me here against my will. No offense, but the societal elite of New York City don't really catch my fancy."

"None taken…since you clearly are not a regular to this scene, what do you do?"

"I am a grad student at NYU studying medicine."

"Medicine at NYU? Why did you choose NYU?"

"Full-ride scholarship. My parents are paying for the apartment in the city; I couldn't afford anywhere else so I am hoping my research makes up for the lackluster name in the medical world."

"What are you researching?"

"Well, unfortunately that is top secret, and I can't tell you that."

I looked at her in disbelief only to realize that she was completely serious. I was surprised but didn't pester her. The car was slowing and the driver turned to the backseat and told us we had arrived at her apartment.

"Thank you for the ride."

"No problem Miss Swan. May I ask for a favor in return?"

"That depends on what it is."

"Your phone number. I never know when I may need medical advice."

She laughed at my poor attempt at humor but gave me the number nonetheless. I also gave her mine in case she ever needed a ride again. I watched as she walked to her building and disappeared into the darkness of the building.


	2. Chapter 2

Forgot to mention: I am not Stephenie Meyer. I own nothing.

Please Read and Review! :)

Nothing/Kiss

I had been making phone calls for the past 36 hours nearly non-stop. I was running low on leads of where she could be. I knew of the next people who could help me, and I also knew that they would require a lot more than asking if they had heard anything. These people would require payments for their information; whether they had any or not. I held my head in my hands again and sighed deeply.

I looked at a picture of her on my desk and picked it up. It held a picture from nearly five years ago from the first time that they kissed. I had been exceedingly surprised to see her that night and I remembered it vividly since it had been one of the best nights of my life.

"Please leave me alone." The woman skulked off and I was left alone in the chilly December air. I had come out here to be away from all the women inside wearing dresses that were made for any season except winter. I had seen enough dresses on the women who clearly didn't want anything left to the imagination of the men they were pursuing.

I wasn't even sure why I went to these parties since nothing happened at them after dinner ended and drinks were brought out. I did enjoy the networking that they provided at least until the people were too drunk to network. I always had one or two drinks to ease the aching in my head that always came with the territory of dealing with women throwing themselves at me. I drank the rest of the scotch I was holding in my hand and turned to look inside. There was a woman standing at the doorway that looked exceedingly familiar.

"Bella?" I was stunned to see her here; at another party since she had said she didn't go for the 'elite scene'.

"Oh, hello again Edward." She was wearing an elegant long sleeved dress which left a great deal to the imagination.

"What are you doing here?"

"My friend dragged me out here again. I figured there'd be less people out here since so few are dressed properly." I laughed to myself quietly. "I am not bothering you by being out here am I?"

"Of course not, I could use some company that doesn't reek of about 80 shots of alcohol." She laughed and I found myself smiling at her.

Her smile and laugh were infectious to me and I spent about two hours outside with her, talking about nothing in particular. I told her some of the better stories I had acquired in the past five years I had been hanging around the party scene. I realized how late it had gotten and said that I should probably head home. We turned to enter the party to leave when a brilliant flash went off in our faces. One of the other investors was laughing hysterically at the results.

"Come on, kiss her!" he said through a heavily drunken slur.

I looked apologetically at Bella for this man's foolish behavior when I realized how close she was to my face. I went to move back and she held my arm firm. Her lips moved close to mine and then she kissed me. I saw another flash go off out of the corner of my eye but Bella kept my lips pressed to hers. I heard the photographer cheering and felt her withdraw from me. She smiled at me as I continued to stare at her in shock. She then took my hand and we headed inside to find her friend sitting on another man's lap kissing him wholeheartedly.

"You couldn't give me another ride again could you?" I simply offered her my hand and we headed to the car. She gave the driver her address again and slid into the backseat with me.

"Why did you kiss me back there?"

"Did you not enjoy it?" I couldn't see her face well in the darkness but I could hear the smile in her voice. The truth was that I felt more in that one kiss than from all the other girls that I had kissed in the past few years since entering this world.

"Yes I enjoyed it, but I was asking why you actually listened to the drunk who told us to kiss."

"Because I wanted to know what it would feel like to kiss you."

"And you determined…?"

"That it was worth it." She then leaned closer to me in the back of the car. I pushed a button to raise a partition and she kissed me again. I was prepared for it this time but once she pressed her lips to mine I was blown away again. I felt the warmth from her body pressed against mine as I sighed into her lips. I felt the car come to a stop and idle outside her apartment and I sighed. She reluctantly pulled away and started to grab her purse.

"Wait, can I take you out? Just the two of us? For dinner?"

"Sure, Tuesday night 7 o'clock. You know where I live."

She kissed me on the cheek as she walked up to her apartment complex. Before completely disappearing into the darkness she turned to me and though she couldn't actually see inside of the car, she waved to me before turning to leave. I closed my eyes and leaned back into the seat on the way to my place and relived the past hour, focusing on the details of her body pressed against mine, her warmth, and her soft lips.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Hey readers! Please Review...Also, I don't own anything. I changed the rating on this because of some violence potentially in later chapters and a possible lemon.

Message/Anniversary

I opened my e-mail for the millionth time today to see if anymore leads had responded. I was looking through the usual newsletters and junk mail when I saw that there was an e-mail from a very odd e-mail address: .

I instantly opened it and found there was an attachment of a video; I downloaded this instantly and waited impatiently for the video to open, tapping my fingers on the desk. I clicked play and instantly my eyes began watering; Bella was tied to a chair with duct tape and there was a bag over her head. I could clearly see the diamond ring I gave her just 2 weeks ago on her finger. Her hair was a mess but seeing her made my heart race; or at least it would have if it hadn't been in this context. I had to travel often for business so we spent a lot of time on Skype. A man dressed all in black came on the screen with his demands.

"So you see we have captured your little girlfriend, or should I say fiancée. If you knew where she was, you probably would have her by now so we figured we would show you that she was safe and sound with us. Obviously you didn't care enough for her to have her protected from your rivals, so now we have her. We want something you have, and clearly you would never listen to us if we wrote you a well-mannered letter so we figured this would get your attention. We want money. We have a plan to make the world better and we need funds to get what we need. $20 million should be good to get us started. You have 12 hours after this message was sent to respond. If you send us that you will give us the money, then we will allow her to go free once we have received the money in our account. We will deliver her back to you promptly and we can go our separate ways. Please respond promptly, at least for her sake."

The man left the screen and the screen went black. I looked at when the message was sent. I had 9 hours to get any information I could from this and respond before they hurt her. I quickly called my contact in the police force. They took hold of the video and they tried to track information down. I didn't even want to think of what she was going through. How could I have been so stupid?

Then there was a different problem. Why did these bastards need 20 million dollars? I couldn't just hand it over. That makes no sense. Besides, it isn't like I would actually get her back. They would hold her as a ransom for more money and more money; I had seen this movie before. I was at a complete loss for what to do. My phone rang and I quickly answered.

"Hello this is Mr. Masen."

"Edward, I tried my hardest on tracking this video. It's a dead-end. There is no way to track it; the IP address was a bust as well. It is from a satellite internet source, this guy knows what he is doing. Without more time, we can't do much else. I recommend that you try to get more information out of him before you give in though. Try to find out more about what he wants the money for."

"Alright. Thanks for trying."

"We aren't giving up just so you know, but we will be working past the deadline he gave you." I hung up the phone with him and I tried to think of what I was going to do. I opened my e-mail and hit reply.

"Hello, I have some questions as to what my money will be funding. I need more information on the 'project to make the world better' before I will authorize such a hefty transaction. Thank you, Mr. Masen."

I had nothing left to do but wait. I was staring at my computer screen when the screensaver came on. It showed a picture I had forgotten about. Our one-year anniversary had been quite the fiasco…

I had been planning this for the past couple months…considering I had never had a girlfriend for an entire year, this was quite a milestone. I was going to take her on a sunset helicopter ride around New York City and then a private dinner in a small fancy restaurant which I had reserved for the occasion. Then I had rented a horse and carriage for a private ride through Central Park where dessert and dozen roses would be waiting. I had sent a dress over to her earlier that day. The whole shebang cost about $1,500 but it would be worth it to see her smiling face glowing later tonight. As a result, I was quite surprised to find her dressed in jeans and a t-shirt looking rather angry when she opened the door.

"What is this?" she practically screamed, gesturing to the dress.

"A dress for this evening, it is our one year anniversary."

"I am aware of the date. I got you some chocolates, here." She threw these at me and I caught them and set them on a table. I walked over to her and put my arm around her shoulder.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Wrong? Wrong? Yes, I don't want you to spend all this money on me. If this is the dress you sent over, I don't even want to know what you actually had planned. This dress must have cost a fortune. I mean I know you are worth millions Edward, but I don't need this to be happy."

"What do you need and want then?"

"I want you. I just want to spend time with you doing normal things that normal couples do. I want to go to the movies with you and go out to dinner." I decided to neglect to mention that we were going to dinner as I realized what she meant since she was basically crying.

"I am sorry. I forgot that you don't like me because of my money. Perhaps you can forgive me, and we can have a nice mild anniversary? I am sure the helicopter pilot will understand when I explain the circumstances…as will the carriage driver and the restaurant I reserved." She looked at me in shock as I listed all of the lengths I had gone to.

"We can go to dinner and the carriage ride." I smiled and she left to go put the dress on. I had never met a woman who wasn't interested in something other than money and quite frankly, Bella baffled me. This is what made her better than the other women. I didn't have to go to ridiculous parties anymore. She was quickly becoming everything I had ever wanted in a woman, but had only previously found through my wealth.

Bella planned our dates after that night; although she did enjoy the date that I had created for her. I was caring less and less about becoming wealthier and more and more about being with her and pleasing her. I realized how quickly it was happening but I didn't want it to stop since these were brand new feelings and they were so strong; so much stronger than the greed and determination that I used to surround myself with.


	4. Chapter 4

Changed/Love

I moved my mouse and refreshed my e-mail to discover that they had responded already. I opened the e-mail and began to read:

"Mr. Masen, although we admire that you only wish to give vast sums of money to reliable and honorable causes, we cannot give you the information that you seek, for if we told you, we'd have to kill you." I slammed my hands down on the desk and keyboard and shook my head in complete frustration. Why was it so hard to find one person? Why hadn't I outfitted her with a tracking device? I tried to buy myself more time by responding and saying:

"Sir, if you will not give me that information, then I at least require your name and the method with which Bella will be returned to me. Thank you, Mr. Masen." As I sent the message, the phone rang.

"Hello this is Mr. Masen."

"Edward, we got more information from the e-mail and video. We managed to narrow down the location that it was likely sent from. They used more than just a public connection as we had first determined. They used a satellite connection that has about 80 firewalls on it. I have guys working as fast as possible on getting these down but we have managed to narrow it down enough to know that she is in the Southwest United States. Have you gotten anymore responses from them yet?"

"Yes, and they wouldn't tell me what the money was for. I asked for a name and how I would have her returned to me. I am not concerned about losing money; honestly, I just want to be sure that they won't continue holding her for more and more money, so the more information I get, the better."

"We understand, and we will do everything that we can to further narrow the signal. Meanwhile, I am letting the police forces in the major southwest cities know to keep an eye out for her, so just e-mail me over a picture of her. We'll get her back, Edward, I've seen a change in you since you met her. I'm quite fond of you now. Before you seemed like another greedy Wall Street-type, and now you have actually become my friend."

"Thanks Carlisle, you know I'll generously donate to the precinct for all your help on this."

"Edward, the money is not important. Let's get her back." I got off the phone and looked back at my e-mail to see that they hadn't responded yet. I found a picture of Bella to send Carlisle from Christmas a couple years ago. I had been traveling for business so she allowed me to fly her out to Venice to meet me.

I met her at the airport holding a bouquet of flowers and she flew into my arms, dropping her carry-on bags on the ground. It had been over a month since we had seen each other face-to-face since I had been traveling Europe and she was finishing a semester in school. We had practically no communication as well since we had been so busy; she was quite the sight for sore eyes. I twirled her in my arms and kissed her lips.

We had Christmas dinner and bundled up in a gondola ride through the canals. As I held my angel in my arms, I realized that I was falling in love. No one had ever meant anything to me as much as she was beginning to mean to me and I wanted her to know how much I cared for her. I gently brushed her hair to the side of her face and she looked up at me with a smile on her face. As much as she didn't like it when I spent tons of money on her, I knew she liked to be spoiled in little ways and I quickly learned that little gestures were okay for displaying my growing affections for her. I leaned down to her and whispered in her ear.

"I love you." She instantly sat upright, nearly smacking me in the head and stared at me in shock.

"You do? I mean that much to you?" She said this in a tone of complete disbelief since I had told her recently that I didn't know what love was or if it even existed.

"Yes, yes you do. I know that I said I didn't believe in love but I spent a lot time awake in bed thinking about what I said and how I've gotten to know you so much in the past year and a half. I realized that the passion I feel for you is not just a feeling for a sister or friend or any random girl I have ever been with." I grinned sort of guiltily as she glared at me.

"Sorry, I just want you to understand that you really are important to me and I do love you. I am sorry that I hadn't realized that before and I know I hurt you when I said that and-"

She put her finger to my lips and quieted me. "I love you too. You didn't have to keep babbling; I know you only say things after you've thought them through." Then she kissed my lips and I felt the entire world melt away as she held nothing back from me and kissed me with delight in the gondola. She fell asleep in my arms in the gondola and I gently awoke my angel to take her back to the hotel room where she promptly fell back asleep. I laid down next to her and gently kissed her on the cheek and whispered "I love you" before I fell asleep next to her, holding her in my arms.


	5. Chapter 5

Torture/Ferris Wheel

My e-mail refreshed itself and I saw that I had a new video message. I clicked download and I waited for it to play.

"Do you really think we are that stupid, Mr. Masen? We can't tell you names. You would just go to the police and have us arrested…or at least you would if you could find us. It is also much too difficult to explain how Miss Swan here will be returned to you. She is rather pretty isn't she? Oh and um, your 12 hours is up. You may have replied to us but you didn't actually send the money. I believe I told you that she would suffer if you didn't do as we asked, very nicely I might add. So I guess you will have to watch as we torture her. I think that 75 volts should be good." I watched as he flipped a switch and Bella shuddered. Her mouth opened wide and heard her scream. He quickly stopped the shock.

"And that was just a taste of what she might have been through. Imagine what will happen the longer you wait. Higher and higher shocks…more and more pain…inching closer and closer to death…all because of you, Edward. If she dies, it _is _your fault." The screen went dark and my blood boiled in rage. I sent the video to Carlisle with the police and looked at the note that came with the message. I had 12 more hours before I had to do something. I needed sleep, although I was unlikely to get it after what I just saw her go through. I set an alarm for 4 hours later and I lay down in my bed.

I couldn't get her scream out of my head; I had only heard her scream one other time and thankfully she was alright then…but the memories of what may have been still haunt me sometimes.

She had begged me for weeks to take her here. I hated carnivals. They seemed so ordinary; my life had been extravagant and I wanted to share it with her. But no, she told me that normal couples go to carnivals so here we were, surrounded by rusty buckets of bolts. I paid for some tickets and we went on the Ferris wheel. I hated Ferris Wheels anyway because they seemed so flighty and I wasn't very fond of heights when all I am protected by is 2 bolts and a cage. She dragged me on the ride anyway though and I gripped her hand tightly.

The first time around we stopped frequently since they were loading the cages up. Every single time the cage jerked to a stop I jumped. Bella was laughing at me constantly since I was pale white and I had a death grip on her hand. I was terrified. The second spin around the wheel was rather soothing and I started to relax. When we reached the top on our last spin around, Bella looked over at me and started to kiss me. I leaned into her and after relaxing some more; I heard a screech of metal against metal. I broke the kiss and frantically looked around.

Bella traced patterns on my arms and said I was being paranoid. I relaxed and kissed her again. The next thing I knew, we heard more screeching and our cage tilted violently sideways. I heard her scream pierce my ear and I held her tightly to my body. I heard the carnival workers telling us to keep calm and I felt her body shaking against mine. We seemed to be stable for the moment but I continued to squeeze her against my body. She cried into my shoulder and I rubbed her back gently, muttering assurances I didn't believe into her ear.

After what felt like hours, I saw a man come to rescue us on a crane. I helped Bella out first and then I joined her. After I got all my money back and a lot of apologies, we returned to my car and she curled up next to me on the seat.

"I guess you were right, at least extravagant things you do for me are safe."

"It's ok…I never expected something like this to happen. We can do something else another time. I am just glad we are safe; and together." She curled up in my lap and fell asleep and I gently rain my hand through her hair and sighed in relief since I was with my angel and we were safe and sound.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: A huge thanks to Irish-fan for reviewing. You make my day happy. I would really appreciate more feedback though from others! And now on with the story! :)**

**Compliance/Ignorance**

I groggily woke up and fumbled to turn off the alarm. I hated these people even more for denying me of sleep since they had stolen my Bella. I looked at my phone and saw that Carlisle had called me back. I quickly redialed his number.

"Hey Carlisle; it's Edward."

"Well Edward, I called because of that second video that you forwarded me. You need to know that these people are messed up, and it isn't your fault if they kill her."

"What are you talking about, Carlisle? Of course it is, I could send them the money right now and this could end!"

"You know it wouldn't end like that. They'd keep her and they'd keep asking for more money. You aren't thinking logically right now and I need you to calm down. We think we know what state she is in now. We are pretty sure she is somewhere in Arizona, the firewalls are proving harder to crack than we could've imagined. It is really hard to figure out exactly where it is transmitting from so we just made a lot of calls to Arizona and let the police know there as much as we could let them know. They are on high alert and the television stations will be plastered with her information, as will ones in surrounding states. I know you hate publicity so your name has been kept confidential in most cases. I know you want her back, but there is only so much we can do. These are clearly professionals we are working with."

"Have you tried doing voice recognition? Do you have something that can narrow down who it might be since we don't have a name?"

"There is only so much we can do with that. Have you tried Bella's phone?"

"It has been off since this whole thing started. I only have ten hours until they hurt her again. What should I do?"

"Nothing"

"I can't do nothing Carlisle, they are torturing her. I can't live with myself if I have to keep watching them harm her."

"I honestly don't know what to try. They won't reason with us, I mean you could try to send them part of the money and if you can see her in person, then you will give them the rest of it, in cash and in person. They would probably appreciate that it would be unable to be tracked that way."

"I'll give it a shot. So give them a million? God, 10 years ago that would have been so much and now it's just chump change."

"I think that should be enough. That much shouldn't be able to do much damage."

I called my bank and transferred one million to a separate account and copied every new password and account number. I e-mailed Bella's captors the passwords and numbers and told them that once I was able to meet Bella I would hand deliver the other 19 million.

Bella's birthday was in a week and I still needed to plan her present. I suppose her present could be getting her rescued from these people; although, I hated to admit it, she would probably be dead by the end of the week if I hadn't found a way to rescue her. Her first birthday with me was nearly as much of a fiasco as our anniversary.

I was unused to having someone to spoil. Therefore, I was going a little over the top in planning for her next birthday. I tried my hardest to keep myself under control when it came to spending but it was extremely difficult. I finally settled on some simply pretty jewelry and bringing her to dinner in my apartment getting food from one of her favorite restaurants in town. I intended to make the night as romantic as possible for her; there were candles and rose petals everywhere and incense.

I helped her into the car. I begged her to wear a dress for me and she had excelled in this, wearing a little black dress that made my jaw drop. If I hadn't known her better, I would have thought that she was one of the gold diggers from the old parties of my past. I was in awe at her beauty and I spent nearly the entire car ride to my apartment drinking her in.

When we arrived at the apartment, I helped her out and I watched as her jaw dropped as she took in the scene in front of her eyes. She looked to me, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Do you like it?"

"How could I not love it? It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. No one has ever done something like this for me."

We sat down and ate dinner together and she told me more about what she was studying in her research. She had finally confided in me what it was but I had been sworn to secrecy on what she was researching so that it would be new and groundbreaking once it was published. We finished dinner and I walked her over to an open area in the room and turned on my stereo. I was extremely into music and I had a superior sound system. We danced for a while in the candlelit room and I loved feeling her warmth in my arms. She eventually got dizzy from how much I spun her around.

We retired to the couch and she instantly moved closer to me, and started kissing me. Initially her passion surprised me, but I soon was kissing her back and we were both breathless. I felt her hands on my chest and I moved down to slide my hands up her smooth, strong legs. I reached the edge of her dress and started sliding up higher when she instantly pulled away.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I-I just assumed that you um- well-"

"You assumed what? That I was one of those sluts you used to date? That I would be an easy lay? That this would be the best birthday present ever? I don't think so. I don't have sex like this. Not on a couch and not without serious commitment."

I took her hands in mine and I looked her in the eyes.

"I'm sorry for misinterpreting your signals. I thought you wanted this. I mean you are wearing quite the scandalous dress tonight and you kissed me and you touched my chest…"

"So what? You just thought it would be simple like that? You thought I wanted it? Just like one of those sluts. You don't change your ways. You asked me to wear a dress and I did. We danced together and it was romantic so I kissed you. I enjoyed the moment more since you assembled such a nice evening for me for my birthday."

I had forgotten how different she truly was from all the other women I had been with. Her words rang true and I realized how right she was that I treated her just like those common whores I used to date.

"I am sorry. I was wrong. I will never try something as stupid as that again. I'm a fast learner. I won't hurt you anymore, my love. I promise you that. Nothing will ever happen to tear us apart."

If only I knew how wrong I would be.


	7. Chapter 7

Hopeless/Lost

I was quickly losing my mind. I didn't know what to do. A feeling of helplessness was spreading throughout my body and mind and I didn't know how to fight it. I couldn't help Bella in any way and I hated waiting for people. Her captors still hadn't responded to my last message, which gave them a million of the twenty they had asked for.

I began pacing in my office, glancing at the computer every few seconds, wanting something, anything to happen. After the twentieth time pacing by, I noticed I had received a new message. I opened it and downloaded another video attachment. I forwarded it to Carlisle before I even started watching it.

"Hello again Mr. Masen. Although your last message included a nice donation to our cause, it was much less than we were looking for. Unfortunately, although we once again admirably understand your intentions, we are going to have to make her pay for your transgressions."

I nearly stopped the video right there, but just being able to see her again was an overwhelming draw for me.

He turned the shock machine on again and I saw her face grimace and her eyes tear. She suffered through the pain in silence.

"Well, she's tougher than she looks. I suppose she'll be alive a little longer. Although, if you actually want to ensure that she doesn't die, I would just send us the money now."

The video ended and I wanted to die. I didn't think they would even remotely consider giving her back to me. They would hold her captive until I drained all of my savings and then they would make me get more. The feeling of hopelessness was back and even more prevalent than before. I didn't know if it would just be better to kill myself at this point rather than continue on with dealing with these kidnappers. I remembered the last time I felt hopeless like this, although it was of a much lower level than what I was feeling right now.

I purchased the tickets months ago and we had been excited for months. It was a concert for her favorite singer, Michael Bublé. This was a special venue in that there was an outdoor mosh pit type area in the front. We arrived 2 hours early to get good seats and I brought food with us for a picnic. We enjoyed our meal and met some nice people who were standing around us. The concert went by fairly quickly once it started and Bella sang along to every song. The mosh pit was fairly packed and I figured we would have to wait a while to leave but that would be okay.

The concert ended and people began streaming to the exits. I turned to tell Bella to wait and discovered she was missing. My heart instantly stopped in my chest.

Where had she disappeared to? I instantly pulled out my cell phone and was calling her when I realized that she didn't bring her phone tonight because she wouldn't have been able to hear it since she was at the concert and I was the only person who called her and she was with me.

I quickly called my driver and instructed him to call me if he found her or if she showed up at the car. I got up on the railing in front of the stage and started looking for her head in the crowd. Unfortunately, there were a large number of blonde women so this was unlikely to work. I tried to push my way through the crowd and found this a fruitless effort as well. I just had to hope she remembered where we parked. I started heading to the car and I felt lost without her by my side. I had failed to keep her safe from harm and this left me feeling very dejected and disappointed. I also was angry that she had left without me although the concern for her well-being overwhelmed that feeling.

I finally reached the car and I started pacing. I didn't know what to do to find her. There were people everywhere. My head was moving around like a bobble head and I still hadn't seen her. I was on the brink of tears when she finally emerged from the edge of the crowd and started walking towards me. I immediately ran to her and swept her into my arms. I held her to my body as I realized she was safe.

"Don't you ever do that to me again" I murmured into her hair.

She pulled back from me and looked at me in a way that was completely foreign to me. I waited for her to explain.

"What do you mean? What did I do wrong?"

"You disappeared from me. I thought you were lost and I didn't know what had happened. You didn't bring your cell phone so I couldn't call and I was so concerned about something awful happening to you so I was so glad to see you. I just am glad to know you are safe but I don't want you to go missing again."

"So you are angry with me because of an accident?"

"I was just concerned. What if you had gotten hurt?"

"I'm a big girl you know, I can take care of myself."

"Is it so bad that I want to take care of you?"

"It is when you get angry at me for getting separated from you like a mother would get angry at her two year old for running off. You need to chill out on protecting me. I have taken care of myself for years. I don't need some big strong man to take care of me. I don't need a father. Take me home."

I opened her door for her and she slid across the back seat to the other window and buckled herself in, crossing her arms and staring out the window. I sat on the other side of the car in an uncomfortable silence. We finally got to her apartment and I leaned towards her to give her a kiss good night and she gave me her cheek.

"Good night" she whispered as she left the car and hurried out of the car into her building.

"What have I done now?" I said to myself as I ran my hands through my hair in frustration as I rode back home.


	8. Chapter 8

Faults

My phone started ringing and I grabbed it immediately.

"Hello?"

"Edward? It's Carlisle. We need to talk."

"I know Carlisle…it's my fault she's in this mess. If she dies, it is entirely my fault."

"No it isn't. It is the fault of these sick men who have her. We can't control them at all. It is _not_ your fault."

"Carlisle, I should have protected her better from these crazy people. I know that people are envious of my money. I should have taken the steps to protect the only person who has ever really meant something to me."

"Edward, you need to understand that there is nothing we can do about the past. Even if she does die, you cannot waste your life trying to figure out what you could've done differently. That is not a good way to live. I have seen so many victims fall into that trap and completely destroy their lives as a result."

"Alright Carlisle. Did you only call for that or do you have some good news for me?"

"Actually I do have some good news."

"Do you know where she is?"

"We think we have the signal narrowed down to the Phoenix area. But we have better news than that. We finally got the voice detection to work and we know who her kidnapper is."

"Well who is it?"

"His name is Caius Hatchley. He has been in prison before for kidnapping and extortion."

"Carlisle…"

"I know…we can talk about our awful justice system later. We know how this guy plays though. We have caught him before. Unfortunately, he seems to be smart. According to reports, it takes longer to catch him each time."

"How long did it take the last time?"

"A month."

"WHAT? She will die within a month. I will give in before a month is up."

"Edward, he may be smarter, but so are we. Also our technology has vastly improved. I think we might be able to catch him. Phoenix news and police are on high alert for this guy. They have the best people out looking for him and we are sending a few of our best out there this afternoon."

"Carlisle, I'm going."

"Uh, Edward, that might not be the best idea."

"Why not? Bella is in pain because of me. I can bring my cell and netbook and we can stay in contact with him that way. I need to get to her as soon as possible. I need to know she is safe."

"Edward, he knows you. Our detectives can blend in better. I don't want him to find you and have our cover blown."

"Carlisle, I will only go where I have been told I can go. I will use only cash for my purchases and a different name for the hotel and plane ticket. Please let me go get her back."

"Edward…you have to be very careful. Nothing can be tracked that it is you. Got it?"

"Thank you, Carlisle. I'm going to go pack and call my pilot."

"Edward, be careful. I'm not entirely sure what he is capable of. I don't want to have something happen to you too."

"I will. Thanks again."

I hung up the phone and called my pilot and had him ready the jet. I thought about flying commercial but I figured that might be more difficult to hide the name. I could lie and say I lent the plane to someone else. I went to my room and grabbed a suitcase and began throwing clothes in.

I ran across a blouse of Bella's that was in my closet from one of the nights she spent at my apartment recently. I remembered the first night she wore it. It was shortly after the disastrous concert we'd gone to.

I had left her alone after the concert. I didn't want to push her too fast. She had been angrier than I had ever seen her. I was so concerned that she would never forgive me. She finally called me two days later.

"We need to talk."

"I agree. Would you like to come over to my apartment? I can order us some Italian food from that little restaurant you like."

"That would be nice."

"Great. I'll pick you up at 7."

I made sure everything was perfect. I knew that we were at a crossroads and I didn't think I would be able to handle losing her if she decided to leave me. I wore a nice shirt and slacks and had the table set professionally. I decided to forgo the romantic candles in case things got violent. I would prefer that my apartment not get set on fire.

I picked her up and she was wearing a blouse that was moderately low cut and a knee-length skirt. She looked incredible as I helped her into the car and it took all my self-control not to kiss her and hold her tightly in my arms, touching her skin which looked amazing against the color of her blouse.

We got to my place and made small talk during dinner. I acted the role of the perfect gentleman, being very careful not to say anything that could be misconstrued in any way. We finished dinner and I helped her from her chair. I took her to the couch and we sat down.

"So…" I said expectantly.

"I'm sorry I didn't call you sooner after the concert."

"It's ok. I was worried I had scared you off. Did you enjoy the concert?"

"Yes. It was wonderful. We need to talk about what happened after though."

"Why were you so angry at me?"

"Because I am a strong independent woman. I am 25 years old. I don't want a babysitter. I love you, but I can't handle being babied."

"I didn't mean to baby you. I truly apologize. I love you as well. I was just worried about you."

"I understand that you are concerned. I appreciate that you care about me. You aren't around me all the time though and I have managed to take care of myself alright until now. I think I can find my way around ok?"

"I understand. Is there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Actually yes. We need to talk about your level of commitment."

"My what?"

"You spend all of your free time with me. You are constantly looking for ways to spend more time with me. I never see any other friends or my family."

"Do you want to go see your family? I can arrange that. We can leave whenever you like. I would also love to meet your friends. We can go on double dates if you'd like."

"That isn't what I mean. I am concerned we are spending too much time together."

"What? I don't understand. I thought you liked spending time with me."

"I do, but if we don't calm this down we're going to get sick of each other, and then we will never want to see each other again."

"I could never be sick of you."

"How do you know? How do you know that you actually care this much for me? You have never been in a real relationship. You didn't even know what love was before me!" She is yelling at me at this point.

"That's because I hadn't met a decent girl. No one looked at me until I was rich and then it was just girls who wanted my money. You are a breath of fresh air to me. I know that is a cliché but I also know that it is the truth. I want to commit to you because I don't want to lose the first person who has meant something real to me."

"You are scaring me."

"Scaring you?"

"I guess…I am scared of commitment. I don't have a problem saying 'I love you'. I just don't know how to act when a relationship gets more serious."

"Did something happen?"

"I didn't want to tell you."

"You can tell me anything. Trust me."

"That's just it. I can't trust people. Remember when we met and I said that if I told you what my research was I would have to kill you?"

"Yeah…."

"Well that's because someone stole it once."

"What?"

"Last year, when I first started my research, I met this guy in my research laboratory. His name was Nicolas and he was charming and good-looking. I was new in the lab so he showed me the ropes. I went to him frequently for advice and he would always be critical but helpful. He started to become more a part of my initial research and he showered my research with compliments. I was flattered and when he asked me to dinner I accepted.

"I went out with him for six months. He gave me a ring and I believed myself to be completely in love with him. I wore a goofy smile all the time and my friends teased me constantly. He continues to help me with my research. He had his own research but he said that helping me with mine wasn't putting him behind at all. I began to make more connections in my research and I was making great amounts of progress. Nick was very encouraging to my progress. I just assumed he was being supportive and I was thrilled and told him about every breakthrough that I made.

"Apparently that was not the brightest idea though. We started dating in September and the day before Valentine's Day I came into the lab to keep working and found everything gone. I looked everywhere and found nothing. I called Nick in hysterics asking if he knew what happened and he laughed. He told me that he had taken it. He stole my research and passed it off as his own. I had done all the initial breakthroughs so he had nothing left to do except cross some Ts and dot some Is to combine it with his own. Of course my research worked well with his. I should have realized that he was planning this ever since he met me and learned what I was doing. But I didn't. I lost six months of research and my ability to trust anyone. I started fresh and I kept everything I did a secret. My parents were the only ones I told but they didn't really care.

"See my parents have never really cared for me to go into the medical profession. They see it as dangerous actually. Once I asked them if they'd rather I become a cop and they said yes. They told me that they couldn't handle it if I went insane because I messed something up and someone died. I work so hard all the time to prove them wrong. I haven't had tons of work with patients themselves but when I have, I have been praised immensely. My parents still don't believe that it is what I should be doing but they have resigned themselves that it is what I want to do. Of course, they still won't pay for it at all but that is something different."

"Bella…why didn't you tell me about all this sooner?"

"I was scared. I trusted you enough to tell you about my research because you were outside of the medical industry."

"That and I think I remember you threatening me with a violent death if I actually told anyone about it."

"Yes I believe I did. Well at least you know why now. I can't trust people to not hurt me after what he did. The trouble is that even though Nick wasn't rich, he did a lot of the same stuff that you do: spending lots of time, taking care of me, encouraging me, and loving me. Of course he didn't love me and I think that you do…"

"Yes. I do love you. I encourage you because I truly care for you and I want you to do well. I would never betray you like that. I will take care of you and we can deal with your parents when the time comes. Do you want me to help you pay for college?"

"Oh no, I have loans I have taken out. I have that under control. Thank you, but no."

"If you need anything, ever, please don't hesitate to come to me. I am here for you. I don't want you to be afraid of trusting me."

"Well it might take some time. But knowing that you truly do care, or at least are doing a very good job acting like it, helps a lot."

"I really do. I will not lie to you."

"Hmm…well tell me. What do you think of what I wore over here this evening?"

"Are you sure that you want to know that?"

"Yes…"

"I think your skirt is much too long. I want to see more of your incredible legs. I love the cut on this blouse and I love this color on your skin. I have been dying to touch your skin all night."

I slid my finger along the neckline of her shirt and she gasped. She grabbed the neck of my shirt and pulled me to her lips.

"That's what I was hoping for."

I chuckled as she kissed me and sighed into me. We laid together and she ran her fingers through my hair.

"I love you. I'm glad I told you about my past. It feels good for you to know the truth."

"Thank you for trusting me. I love you too."


	9. Chapter 9

Packing

I threw clothes and toiletries into my suitcase with fervor. I didn't know how long I'd be gone so I threw in about 2 weeks' worth of clothes. I looked around my room for what I might need. I grabbed the cell phone charger out of the wall, my netbook, and my external hard drive which contained pictures of Bella should I need them. I looked like a madman throwing everything into my suitcase so crazily. I sat down on the edge of my bed and laid back, staring at the ceiling.

How could I have let this happen to her? I should have kept her protected from people like this. I knew that Carlisle told me not to beat myself up like this but I couldn't stop feeling like it was entirely my fault. I got off my bed and looked at the suitcase. It was a disaster inside but I didn't really care about how it looked inside, so long as it had the stuff I needed. Normally, I would never allow my stuff to look like such a mess. My apartment is immaculate: bed made, clean counters, everything in its proper place. I don't have a housekeeper because I would never be able to find anything. If anyone even moves my stuff to a different spot in my house, I can't find it later. Looking back at my suitcase, I remember the last time I saw a bag that looked like this.

She was grabbing her clothes from my closet and taking her purse about to leave. I repeatedly tried to grab her arm. She continuously pulled away from me, trying to leave. I gave up and stood, watching my precious angel throw her stuff in the bag furiously. She threw a skirt in the bag and suddenly sat on the bed with her head in her hands. I cautiously approached and sat down next to her. She had started sobbing and I put my arm around her shoulders. I was surprised when she let me leave it there but glad as well.

"What is wrong?"

I had been thinking about what had just happened and I still couldn't figure exactly what it was that I had done wrong.

"Remember how I said we had to take it slow?"

"Yes. I have been very cautious."

"Well, saying that you want to spend the rest of your life with me isn't exactly taking it slow."

Oh…I had forgotten I had said that. I said it thoughtlessly obviously. I hadn't realized that it would affect her so profoundly though. I only meant for her to learn how I felt about her.

"I just wanted to tell you how I felt about you."

"You know I am still struggling with commitment! I can't stand being forced to say something in return."

"I'm not trying to force you to respond. I am honestly just happy to be with you. You can tell me you don't think our relationship will last through this week and I will still be happy. I still would like to spend the rest of my life with you but if you are uncomfortable with that then I can understand. If you would like, I will not mention it again until you are ready."

"I like that you care for me so deeply. I can't care for anyone that deeply. I've _never_ cared for anyone that deeply. Not even my parents; honestly, how could I when they didn't even want me to pursue my dreams. They just care about looking good to their friends. Truthfully, they'd adore you; you are the ultimate dream for parents who only care about keeping up appearances. I may not care about your money, but they would love you for it. If they knew I was with you, they would start planning the wedding now."

"So, are you afraid of commitment, or are you just trying to spite what your parents would do if they knew we were together?"

"You think I actually would commit, if it weren't for my parents?"

"Do you?"

"Potentially. I have acted as a sort of 'bad seed' in our family. I don't really follow what my parents want because I am too busy listening to my own heart. I have wanted to be a doctor for years and this is a dream come true opportunity. I dated in high school but only after the guy was approved by my parents. I couldn't do anything without them. Once I left home, I started acting out more and more. I was trying to spite them for all the years they kept me under their control. I would go months without calling or visiting. I started calming down after I got my undergraduate degree. I still don't talk to them much though."

"I think you resent them. I think you don't want to commit to me because you know how much it would please your parents."

"It is just so hard to deal with them after all these years. I don't want to do something they would like so much."

"Well, you being with me may make them happy, but you aren't with me for the reasons that they would like."

"That's true. I'm with you because I love you. If you lost all of your money overnight, I would still love you just as much."

"See, then there is no problem with you committing to me. You may please your parents in the process, but maybe it's time to heal those old wounds. You've grown up since you acted out."

"I suppose…it is really hard to forgive them though."

"I think we should go visit them."

"You're kidding right?"

"Um…no."

"I just told you that they would start planning the wedding if they found out about us. I know that you may like that, but I don't."

"I don't want a wedding right now either. I want your parents to understand that you have grown up and will start to forgive."

"Ok fine. But if anyone mentions wedding, we are leaving."

"Done. Now let's unpack your stuff."

"I could just take it back to my apartment you know. I don't really need clothes here."

"You don't want to help keep me warm in this bed? It is so large and I get so cold in it."

Bella smiles at me and lies down on the bed. "Well, if you insist."

**AN: Next chapter, tomorrow! Meet Bella's parents! **


	10. Chapter 10

Homecoming

I stepped off my plane and squinted into the sunlight. I got into the rental car that was waiting and drove to a local hotel. I specifically chose a lesser known hotel so that I would stay hidden. I checked in under the name 'Jared Hudson.' I went to my room and opened up my laptop. I hadn't received any more messages from the captors so I lay down on the bed. I spent the entire plane ride sleeping so I wasn't falling back to sleep any time soon. I sighed as my cell phone started ringing. The caller ID said it was Carlisle.

"Hey Carlisle. I just landed. What's the plan?"

"Have you gotten any more e-mails?"

"No. Why?"

"Alright. Then he must be biding his time. He probably thinks that we are going to be making a move and he wants to see what that is."

"How pinpointed is the signal you have right now?"

"Not very. We need him to slip up so that we can pinpoint it closer."

"Somehow I see that as a long shot."

"So do we. Did Bella have her cell phone on her when she was taken?"

"Yes, but it has been off. I've tried calling but it goes straight to voicemail."

"We can't track it then. Edward, don't go wandering around. We don't want you to be seen or get yourself into trouble."

"So you want me to sit in a hotel room with nothing to do but wait to get another video of sick people torturing my fiancée?"

"Well, if you want to put it that way then yes. Bella's safety is the most important. I'm sure you'd agree with me."

"Yes, I want her safe. I just want to be helpful."

"You can't be the superman here, Edward. In this case, the cops are going to be the superheroes. You have to be careful. Caius doesn't know us. He knows you; and he clearly knows you are willing to give up everything for her. We have one other tidbit of information. We ran his recent phone records and charge history. Caius is paying a middle seas agent by the name of Demetri."

"I know him."

"You what?"

"I may have contacted him in the past about buying weapons."

"Edward, I am going to pretend you didn't say that. Anyway, if he is buying weapons, it could be the reason he needs the money so badly. Do you know what kind of weapons Mr. Demetri sells, Edward?"

"Um pretty much anything. Nuclear, atomic, standard hand guns, you name it, he probably has it."

"Can you get in touch with Demetri? Talk to him and find out if he has had contact with Caius recently."

"I can try. It's been a long time since I talked to him. That was back when I was more paranoid and thought I needed protection from people out to get me."

"Edward, I really don't care what you were doing and I will pretend you never said anything about going to get weapons. Talk to this guy please. Let's work to get Bella back."

I hung the phone up and leaned back in the chair I was sitting in. I always have hated hotel rooms. There is this funny smell in them and I always hate leaving home. Unfortunately, I have to travel often for business and as a result I have an entire cabinet filled with air fresheners. I rushed out of my apartment this morning so I was unable to grab one. As a result, I felt extremely uncomfortable in this room. I had only ever been so uncomfortable one other time; the time we went to visit Bella's parents.

"Get in the car already!"

Bella was practically screaming at me since I had taken so long packing. I just wanted to be sure I got everything before we left. Bella just wanted to be on time to the plane. I don't think she realized that I was in charge of when the plane actually left.

"I'm on my way."

I grabbed my cell phone and threw it in my bag and raced out the door. The flight passed quickly, her parents lived in Chicago in a relatively small apartment, so we had gotten a hotel room for the weekend. I was certain to get a nicer suite on the thought that it would have at least two bedrooms. I was concerned that having us sleep in the same bed may give her parents or Bella herself the wrong idea. She did occasionally spend the night at my apartment and slept in my bed with me but after all the fights we'd been having lately, I wasn't sure what would or wouldn't offend her. In other words, I was treading very lightly when it came to Bella because I had no intention of losing her and having her walk out of my life.

We checked into our hotel and went to meet her parents for the evening. I wore a shirt and tie and Bella wore one of her many stunning cocktail dresses. I was having a difficult time not thinking about all the ways I wanted to show her how much I loved her in that dress, but I resisted on account of meeting her parents. We spent over a week choosing the best place to eat and we finally settled on a restaurant at the hotel. The website boasted that it had the best fine dining in Chicago. Her parents were anxious to meet me and I was a nervous wreck at meeting them. I headed to the mini bar in our hotel only to have Bella slap my hand away.

"You will not be smelling like a drunkard when my parents meet you."

"I just wanted a sip to calm the nerves though."

The look she gave me told me that I was not having any liquor before meeting her parents. I put two and two together and turned back to her.

"Wait, do you actually care about what your parents think of me then?"

"Well, I don't want them to think you are a bum I picked up off the street…"

"A bum off the street could not afford to pay for dinner, let alone for this room for the weekend."

"True. I guess I want them to like you because you mean something to me."

"How much exactly do I mean to you?"

"You mean more than any other guy I have been with…that's all I'm saying."

"Fine, but that still doesn't explain why you want your parents to like me."

"I guess that I am growing up a little and some part of me has always tried to consistently please my parents. Old habits and all…"

"I suppose. If they say something that offends you, please don't make a scene in the restaurant. I really don't want to get kicked out of the hotel. It is really nice here…except for the smell."

"The smell? It smells normal to me."

"Not to me. I think I have a sensitive nose. Whenever I go on trips, I always bring air fresheners to make hotel rooms smell like home. I have a certain kind of Glade air freshener all over my house. I bought like 3 Wal-Marts and Costcos out a few years back when I heard the scent was being retired. I should have enough for a while now. I keep a stock in a cabinet and the rest are in the attic. Unfortunately, since _someone_ was in such a rush to leave, I didn't have time to grab one and as a result, I have to deal with the icky smelling room."

Bella was laughing hysterically at this point, lying on the bed in hysterics. I suppose all the details weren't necessary but I couldn't take it back now.

"Seriously? Even when you go overseas?"

"Yes. Especially there, I hate how hotel rooms in foreign countries smell."

"Why don't you get one of those portable air purifiers, you know the kind you can wear around your neck?"

"I don't want to look like an idiot."

"Didn't you say that all investors used to be nerds? Since when do nerds care about how they look?"

"So maybe the money made me a little vain about how I look…I don't want to have my picture taken and have it end up somewhere with me looking like a dork. Also, women at those parties did choose the cuter rich guys out of the pack. A portable air freshener would have designated me the freak and women don't throw themselves at the freak."

"Exactly how many women are we talking about that 'threw themselves at you'?

I saw her eyes narrowed at me, scrutinizing my every word.

"Look at the time! We've got to go downstairs to the restaurant so we are on time for your parents."

She grudgingly left the room with me. Thankfully, we were in the elevator alone and I leaned close to her ear to whisper into it.

"The number is not important. Honestly, they were ridiculous women, they pale drastically in comparison to the angel that is you. There is no competition."

Her smile and bright eyes told me that I had been forgiven. I sighed in relief that I wouldn't have to deal with two ways of awkward conversation. We made it down to the restaurant with time to spare and we were shown to our table. Her parents walked in and were immediately taken to our table. I was introduced to Mr. Charlie Swan and Mrs. Reneé Swan and Annabelle's smile upon meeting me showed that she at least accepted my looks. We sat down and ordered quickly. While we waited for our food, the Spanish Inquisition began for me.

"So, Edward is it? What do you do for a living?"

"I am an investor. I started out a couple years ago and things have progressed nicely since then."

"So you would estimate your personal value to be at?"

"Dad! Please don't ask him that. That is personal!"

"Bella, I have the right to know."

"Dad, we aren't getting married, calm down."

"Bella, it's alright, I don't have a problem telling him. Sir, I am worth about 150 million dollars."

Everyone at the table gasped. I hadn't actually even told Bella that, which was probably at least part of the reason she was defending me.

Annabelle finally spoke up, "Edward, do you only spend your money on yourself or do you—"

"Mrs. Swan, I donate generously to many causes. I actually have amassed so much money from not spending it all. I never know which investment will be a bad choice which is why I am very cautious with my money."

"Well, that is very admirable of you, Edward."

She turned to Bella and whispered something in her ear which made Bella blush and say '_Mother!'_ I looked over expectantly but Bella mouthed later to me so I turned my attention back to her father who continued to ask more questions of me.

"How have you found Bella? What do you like most about her? How did you meet?"

Honestly, this question seemed to come from left field. I understood his concern for his daughter, but as far as they knew we had just started dating.

"Bella is the most wonderful woman I have ever met. I think I like how brilliant she is in every way the most. Some people are brilliantly intelligent but Bella is more than that. She is stunningly beautiful and her confidence in herself just exudes from her. We met at a party actually that one of her friends dragged her to against her will."

Bella and I continued to entertain her parents with stories of our relationship together so far throughout dinner. Often her parents were in stitches, laughing at the silly situations we found ourselves in.

"So I take it you two have been seeing each other for a while now?"

"About two and half years now I think, Mrs. Swan."

"How many times have you slept together?"

"Dad…"

"Bella, I want to know. Be quiet."

"None, sir. We are not in any sort of intimate relations together."

Her dad's face relaxed and I could see his acceptance of me grow.

"Well, good. Keep it that way. You two have separate beds in this hotel room you are staying in tonight?"

"Actually separate bedrooms, we are in the penthouse suite here."

"Perfect."

"Dad, I can have 'intimate relations' with whomever I choose. Please calm yourself down."

"Bella, it sounds like you aren't having them with anyone right now and I am perfectly happy about this."

"Well, maybe that will change tonight."

My jaw dropped and her dad gave her a death glare that made me recoil.

"Darling, this isn't necessary. I don't want it to be like this."

"I know…I kind of like watching him squirm though don't you?"

I laughed nervously as her father slowly calmed down. The rest of dinner passed uneventfully and soon we were bidding them goodbye. We wouldn't see them the rest of the weekend because we were planning on exploring the city tomorrow morning before heading back.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Edward."

"The pleasure was all mine, Mrs. Swan," I said while taking her hand and kissing it, which actually made her blush. Bella shot me a death glare and I cleared my throat.

"Take care of her, will you?"

"Always."

As we headed up to our room, Bella told me what her mother had whispered to her.

"She has a little crush on you. She said that if she was younger she'd seriously be into you. Her exact quote was 'rich _and_ generous, where can I get one?"

I chuckled and pulled her into my arms, "don't worry, I'm not into women who are 25 years older than me. I'm all yours."

As I sat reminiscing, I couldn't help thinking that right now, I had failed her father and the promise I made to him.

**AN: Next chapter, find out what happens when Edward gets drunk at a friend's bachelor party! Please Review! Thanks**


	11. Chapter 11

Leads/Drunk

I looked up Demetri's phone number in my computer's database. I only contacted him once right after I'd gotten rich because someone was threatening me for money. I planned on buying a gun and killing him. I didn't want to be tracked though so I decided to buy an illegal one from the Middle East, not one of my brightest ideas on the whole. Demetri had seemed fairly kind for a weapons dealer and didn't seem to mind that I had blown him off.

"Demetri's office, how may we help you?"

"This is Edward Masen calling for Mr. Demetri regarding a shipment."

"Please hold while we transfer you."

"Edward! It is a pleasure to hear from you. I thought you didn't have the stomach for my services. I am pleased to hear from you, how may I help you?"

"Actually, I am calling for a different reason. I still do not need any weapons from you; I'm not the kind of person who needs weapons of any kind."

"I'm disappointed to hear that from you Edward, but I am willing to help you with whatever it is that you do need."

"That's good because I need to know something about one of your clients."

"I'm afraid that information is incredibly confidential as you know full well Edward."

"I have a reason for needing the information."

"I take it you would like to share this information in an attempt to gain my acceptance of this horrible idea."

"Yes, I would. I don't believe that this idea is horrible though, Demetri."

"I would. If my clients got wind of me releasing information, my entire operation would cease to exist as I know it."

"Well, then perhaps this should remain a secret between us."

"You are still under the mistaken belief that I would like to divulge any information to you at all. Just tell me your sob story so I can get on with my day."

"My fiancée, Bella, has been kidnapped. Her kidnappers are requesting $20 million from me in order to get her back. Of course, I have serious misgivings as to if I will actually be getting her back with one simple payment to these men. I am working with the police in an attempt to track her down but it is proving more difficult than I'd like. Recently, the police looked at the ringleader of this operation's financials and phone records and discovered he was contacting you. Now, they didn't know who you were but I do so I called in hopes you could tell me what you talked to him about."

"You're engaged? Congratulations. Anyway, can you give me this man's name?"

"His name is Caius Hatchley."

"Oh, Caius. He actually didn't want much, just some quotes on weapons. I don't remember which ones. It only rings a bell because he was racking up quite the order. I think in total it would have cost about $100 million."

"So I am right, it's likely that he would keep Bella until he milked me dry."

"Potentially, if this is what he is using the money for. Am I the only red flag on his phone records?"

"As far as I know, yes. Did he say if he was planning to order any of the weapons he asked for quotes on?"

"Not exactly. He was very vague on if he was going to actually order which made me frustrated because as you can tell, I hate wasting my time. I don't mind it for a decent cause like you though, Edward."

"Thanks Demetri, if you think of anything that could help then please give me a call."

"Of course, and please mention to the police the good things I just did for them."

"Certainly, good bye."

I hung up the phone and wanted to smash my head into a wall. There was nothing positive gleaned from that conversation. I was still stuck with no way to get to her or any inkling of how long this could last. My eyes traveled across the room to the mini-bar in the room. I left my chair and I walked over to it and grabbed all the alcohol there was. I returned to the bed, turned the TV on and lifted the bottle in salute to the show that was on.

Before long, I was drunk out of my mind and I was pretty much passed out on the bed. The last thing I remembered before I actually collapsed was the last time that I had been this drunk and the disaster that occurred.

I was out at a bachelor party with some friends. The groom was Billy, an old friend from high school, who was amazingly getting married to his high school sweetheart. He had called me up and we met in the city with the groomsmen. I had no idea what we were doing although I had contributed my car to the evening's festivities. The first thing that happened was the guys opened up the tequila. I laughed as the first round of shots began to loosen us up. We then had a round of beers and quickly arrived at our destination, a strip club. I groaned inwardly at his choice of venue. I wasn't overly surprised but seeing as I wasn't looking, it would be frustrating. I supposed that I would be able to get drunk enough to keep most of the women away though.

We piled out of the car and entered into the dimly lit club. I headed straight for the bar while the rest of the guys headed for the stage, hollering about Billy's last night as a single man. I chuckled slightly as the women at the bar sized me up. I ordered a shot and quickly took it, feeling the burn wash down my throat.

I can only imagine how many shots I actually did that night, seeing as how I can't actually remember most of it. My friends and I left at 4 a.m. with an extra person in tow. We had apparently acquired one of the strippers who was throwing herself at me. I, being completely out of my mind and drunk as I was, invited her back to my place. I had forgotten Bella had spent the night in my apartment since it was closer to where she would need to be early in the morning.

I stumbled into the apartment with a giggly girl on my arm. I headed to my bedroom and fell onto the bed and Bella. She immediately woke up and grabbed my arm.

"You are drunk."

"No I'm not…"

The next thing I knew, Bella's voice went through about three octaves which caused my head to start pounding.

"Who is she?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm his girlfriend, and I would appreciate it if you would get out of this apartment right now."

Amazingly, she kept her voice very level during that, but the threatening tone in her voice was clear enough for the stripper who immediately fled the scene. Bella turned to me and looked at me darkly.

"You won't remember this, but you can be sure I will remind you of this in the morning, you are _never_ to get that drunk again, especially if you are going to bring that riff raff home. I know that your dating opportunities used to be rather thin, but that is no excuse for who you brought home."

"I'm sorry dearest."

I fell on the bed and crashed to my pillows. I felt Bella moving me around on the bed to situate me. She then lay back down and fell asleep, only to wake me in a couple hours with the loudest alarm I had ever heard.

"Do you remember what happened last night, _dearest_?"

Despite my pounding head, I did remember a little of what she had said.

"I think so; I believe I was told to never get so drunk again."

"Correct. I would appreciate it greatly. Now go back to bed and sleep it off. I'll be back tonight, maybe you will feel better enough to eat dinner with me."

I rolled over and thanked her for the silence, falling back to sleep almost instantly.


	12. Chapter 12

Headache/Leaving

I woke up with the TV rambling on about some nonsense and instantly turned it off. My head was pounding and I knew the slightest bit of noise would likely set me off so I set out to go drown myself in the shower. I hopped in the shower and instantly hopped back out of the ice water. Apparently my IQ dropped down the drain when I was hung-over. I tentatively tried the water again and found it to be much warmer. I sat on the floor of the shower and let the water cover me and warm me up, slowly bringing me back to normal functioning level.

I soon got out of the shower and toweled off, feeling much more human and alive than before. I then glanced at the clock in the dimly lit room and realized that I had been asleep for almost ten hours. I groaned and then went over to my computer and cell phone and saw messages on both of them. I determined that I would deal with my phone first and I called Carlisle who was my missed call.

"Hey Carlisle, sorry I missed your call."

"Oh, thank god you're alright Edward."

"What? Why would something be not alright?"

"Because the wackos that kidnapped Bella decided to kidnap you too?"

"Well, yes that could conceivably happen, or I just didn't answer because I was passed out from drinking myself into a stupor."

"Alright, anyway, I called because I wanted to know how your call to Demetri went."

"Well, he was pricing weapons. Weapons that totaled almost 150 million dollars which means that we were right about him not giving up on holding her captive until he drains my bank account."

"Do we know what weapons he was looking at?"

"Nope, Demetri said he didn't remember since he wasn't actually buying. He also said that he would call if he heard or remembered anything more."

"Demetri seems to really want to keep you happy."

"He should. I nearly bought a 10 million dollar weapon. Oh yes, he also wanted me to tell the police to remember that he was helpful in this and to continue to not stop him from shipping into the country."

"Well, I won't mention this lead to any of the other guys if that's what he means."

"I'm sure he'll settle for that."

"Edward, I'm sorry we have so little to go on. I'm also sorry that you are sitting in a hotel room bored out of your mind."

"Carlisle, I just want to be close when we find her because I need to feel her in my arms again. I miss her; we haven't been apart at all the past year until last night..."

"Edward, we will find her. I gotta go, Chief is calling."

As I hung up the phone, I couldn't help but wondering…_Will we find her before it's too late?_

She'd run before, I remembered it vividly. I had just gotten home when I saw her packing her bags. I dropped my briefcase and walked straight over to her. I grabbed her shoulder and she walked off. I grabbed it harder and stopped her.

"What are you doing?"

She continued struggling against me and pushed away again. I grabbed both of her shoulders and held her still as she struggled angrily against me.

"What are you doing, Bella?"

"I'm leaving."

She managed to get away from me again as the shock of her words settled in. I simply dropped my arms and froze.

"Were you going to tell me that you were leaving, or better than that, why?"

"I can't do this anymore, Edward. I can't have someone holding me back. I feel like you are tying me down too quickly. I mean we barely know each other, right?"

"Bella, will you please sit down?"

"No, I need to pack and get to the airport."

"Bella, we've been together for almost 3 years and you think that we barely know each other? I mean, I've met your parents and we've spent hours and weeks talking to each other."

"We haven't talked about everything. I just feel like there is so much I should know about you."

"Then ask, don't leave."

"I have to leave. It isn't just that. Doctors don't settle down until they are at least 35; that's not for 10 years and you won't wait that long for me."

"Firstly, whoever told you that doctors don't settle down is losing it because I've never heard that and I have met married doctors who are 28. Secondly, I would wait for as long as you wanted me to. I am not going to leave you until you don't want me anymore because I have fallen so completely in love with you that it even astonishes me sometimes."

"You say that now, but what about in 5 years when all of your colleagues are married and having children and we are perpetually dating."

"You say you won't settle down, but what happens when you are in the same situation in 5 years?"

"You don't know that that will happen."

"I can guess that it might. Why are you so set on leaving? I have rejected all of your arguments and yet you continue to pack."

"I don't think we're right for each other. I'm sick of you. I just want to leave and run away."

"What about me has made you sick of me?"

"There are many things." She didn't look me in the eye so I could tell her resolve to leave was wavering at least in some aspect.

"Bella, I am begging you, please, give me a chance to prove that we are meant to be together." I got down to the ground on my knees and looked at her. I could see tears growing in her eyes as she saw my desperate plea.

"Please stand up, Edward. My mind is made up. I am leaving and you won't change my mind."

"I wish that there was something I could do. I love you Bella, I will be here waiting for you if you change your mind."

"I won't."

She turned her back to me and I watched the woman I loved walk out the door into the pouring rain of New York City. I sat down on my couch and put my head in my hands.

"She's really gone."

**AN: Well...do you think Bella will come back? The next chapter answers that...although you can probably guess the answer. Also there is another video from Caius coming...**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: There is a mild torture scene at the beginning of this chapter...please be warned...**

Message/Return

I opened my e-mail and looked at it again, seeing a new video message from her kidnappers. It opened faster than the others had so I hoped it was shorter. I hated watching her be tortured for something she couldn't control.

The video opened and began to play and my jaw dropped open. Bella was still tied to the chair but the chair was inside of a glass box. The box had a small trickle of water going into it. My eyes grew larger and they filled with tears. Her captor came on the screen and smiled at the camera.

"Hello Edward, apparently our electric shocks, although they were painful, did not motivate you enough. We determined that a more direct threat against her life was necessary. Therefore, we devised this idea. The water level will increase slowly and each hour I will send you a picture of how full it has gotten. I will increase the speed of the water flow every hour as well. I hope that for her sake you send the required funds soon."

He then walked over to her and reached into the box and removed the gag from her mouth.

"Edward, just send him the money please. Get me out of here!"

The screen went black and I sent it to Carlisle at the station. I looked at my screen and wondered what I could do. I figured that he still wouldn't hand her over and that she was just praying that he hadn't been lying. I wondered if she knew what he was planning. Unfortunately, there was no way for me to find out since we couldn't contact her. I could conceivably send him the money, I could be wrong and he would actually release her. I could also wait and see if Carlisle made a breakthrough. I wasn't sure which path to choose, seeing as both of them could lead to her death.

I sighed deeply and wondered what Bella would do if she were in my shoes. Being so analytical, she probably would have found me already. I still was stuck between a rock and a hard place when room service arrived. I had actually forgotten that I had called them to order food. I paid the waiter and sat down to eat.

I had ordered orange chicken from a nearby Chinese place that delivered to the hotel. It was a happy meal for me since I had eaten it on the night Bella had returned to me after running away from me.

I was a shell of myself. I went through my daily motions and routines only deviating when I was required to for some reason. It had been nearly two months since I had seen Bella and I wasn't getting any better. I occasionally drove by her house, hoping to catch a glimpse of her and see if she missed me as much as I missed her. I never saw her. I was barely even eating. I returned to my apartment at night and often laid in my bed staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep that rarely came. This specific night, I was hungry for once so I ordered Chinese takeout since I lacked any motivation to even think about cooking.

The delivery guy had come and left and I was eating my orange chicken I had ordered while watching some mindless show on TV to get my mind off of things. The next thing I knew, someone was knocking on my door. Initially, I dismissed it, thinking it had been a particularly loud thunder clap from the storm outside. Then I heard rapping persistently on my door. I dragged myself away from the couch and slowly opened the door. Bella was shivering outside the door. Her hair was dripping wet and her clothes were soaked. I left the door open as I ran to my bathroom and grabbed some towels. I brought them over and gave them to her wordlessly.

"Th-thank you, Edward."

"My pleasure, Bella. Would you like to come in?"

"Yes, thank you."

I led her to the kitchen and grabbed a couple more towels and a couple blankets to try to warm her up while she dried off.

"If you want, you could just take a shower. I'm sure you could wear some of my clothes while I dried yours."

"Thank you, but I need to tell you something first. If I wait to tell you, I may lose my nerve."

"Alright, what is it that you have to say?"

I tried to keep my voice somewhat harsh since she had left me and now she was dripping all over my apartment. In reality, my heart was soaring in joy at seeing her again although for all I knew, she had only come over to ask if I wanted some of my clothes back.

"Edward, I made a mistake. Some of my colleagues have been publishing their work recently and due to the amount of time I've spent with you these past couple of years, I haven't been making as much progress on my work. I was becoming frustrated at my lack of progress and I began to realize that I hadn't been able to spend as much time with it as I should have. I decided to take it out on you and I am sorry for that. These past two months have been good and bad for me."

My heart dropped like a stone when she said that they had been good.

"I have made so much progress on my research to make up for the fact I wasted so much time previously. I actually am near to publishing my research. However, I needed someone to share my accomplishments with."

"So you came back to the old stand-by? The time we spent together over the past three years was a waste of time?"

"Edward, are you listening to me? I wanted to be with you again."

"For how long? Until I get in the way again and 'distract you' some more?"

"No, you mean more than I've realized."

"I've been walking around for the past two months like a dead man. I've thought about suicide and you've just been a busy little bee this whole time. I need you more than you can imagine, Bella and I am just a distraction to you apparently, so forgive me if I am not hugging you right now."

"Edward, I have been successful in my work but that was the only good part of my life. I have been spending so much time at the lab that I have fainted three times. When they sent me home for overworking myself, I would realize how alone I was. I depended on you more than I realized. I may have thought that you were my distraction, but honestly, I think I needed that distraction. You got me away from this competitive world before I risked my health. I would have become competitive faster than I just did in these past two months and I might have been dead by now from overworking. I may not have liked being behind my colleagues, but I was able to still make progress with my health intact. You made me safe and healthy."

"Are you only returning to me now since your health may be in danger from overworking on your oh-so-important _research_?"

"No. I'm returning to you because I love you. I missed you."

"If you'd really missed me, I think you would have come back sooner."

"I would have. My grants for research would have been revoked if I didn't get more results and complete more of my research so I worked until I was nearly asleep every night. I'd get an hour or two of sleep and start working again."

"So you are only back because of your health."

"Do you not understand me? I missed you!"

"Do you want to know what I have been through while you have been doing your research? I have stared at the ceiling every night. I quit eating half the time."

I saw shock pass through her eyes as she saw the lengths I went to after she'd left me. Her eyes began brimming with tears and I felt anger course through my veins.

"You're going to cry?"

"I'm sorry. I thought you would be ok. Do you think you can forgive me?"

"I'm not sure. I really am in love with you still. I just don't want to get hurt again. You seem to have barely been affected by my absence in your life."

"I was affected though." She moved closer towards me and put her hand on my shoulder. "I made many mistakes when I would lose track of what I was doing because I thinking of how much I missed you. I came back because I am still in love with you too. Let me prove it."

"How exactly do you prove an abstract emotion?"

She moved in closer to me and I saw her teary eyes close. She moved even closer and pressed her lips to mine. I felt my heart practically explode in joy at feeling her lips against mine again. She leaned her body in deeper to me and pressed her entire body to mine. My arms automatically encircled her waist and pulled her body closer. I reveled in feeling her close to me and I remembered how much I had missed her. Our lips finally parted and she looked at me with her eyes glistening.

"Do you believe me?"

"Yes. Just never leave me again."

"Never."

I wish she had been able to keep that promise.

**AN: Yay! They are back together. Let me know what you think of the split chapter flashbacks...I'm sure the cliffys are no fun but you knew it'd turn out ok...Edward goes on a hunt and to a movie in the next chapter! See you again tomorrow!**


	14. Chapter 14

Escape/Drive-In

I sat in my hotel room that evening trying to avoid banging my head against the horribly wallpapered walls. I decided to leave and I headed out in my darkest jacket to try to blend into the evening. I took a taxi around trying to find old abandoned buildings where I might have found Bella. I knew that the abandoned look was cliché but I figured at least it was a start. I ended up spending two hundred dollars on gas in the rental car I had. I would have them take me somewhere and then poke around for a while at the location. After about 5 hours of driving around the city, I quit. I was used to a much more compact city than Phoenix. In New York, walking was possible everywhere. However, Phoenix was a sprawling city and it was much more difficult to get places. In hindsight, this was the worst idea in the world but the stale hotel air pushed me over the limit. I was losing my mind and I went out for fresh air and thinking I could be a big hero and save the one I loved. I wanted to rush in and sweep her off her feet like the clichéd princes she liked to read about in books. I remember the time that we went to a drive-in movie. She had begged me for weeks…

I looked at her eager eyes as she pointed excited at the computer screen. She was practically bouncing up and down, something I had never seen her do. I focused on what she wanted to show me and saw that it was the drive-in movie's website. She seemed to want to go to a movie there. I then saw that the movie in question was a triple feature of fairytales. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and I placed a hand on her shoulder. I would try to dissuade her kindly at the very least.

"Don't you think my limo would be a bit conspicuous at a drive-in?"

"Of course, we'll take my car."

"But it doesn't have bulletproof glass."

"Why does your limo have bulletproof glass?"

"For safety?"

"Well that doesn't matter, I don't need that on a car. My car doesn't have it as you pointed out and I am still safely alive."

"Fine, we'll go."

We drove to the movie and she eagerly watched all three movies while lying on my lap. I ran my fingers through her hair as she sighed at the strength of the heroes saving the damsels who were consistently finding their way into more and more distressing situations. These were as predictable as horror movies and I was shocked at how enthralled Bella was. The movies ended soon and I placed her back in her seat and began driving us home in her metal death box.

"How can you possibly enjoy those movies?"

"How can you not? I love how romantic the men are and—"

"They aren't romantic…they're saps. No one acts like that."

Her voice became very quiet when she responded "you are sometimes."

I nearly crashed the car as I came to a red light and looked at her dumbfounded. "You're kidding me."

"No, I think of you as my prince charming when you buy me nice presents and sweep me off my feet."

"Can I have a concrete example of when I was this 'prince charming' person?"

"When you took me on the carriage ride in Central Park; that was the most wonderful date and I just felt so loved."

The honesty of her words struck a chord with me and I placed a hand on her shoulder and gently rubbed it. "You are my princess, or better yet, my queen. I live to make you smile and I would be honored to be your prince."

She smiled broadly as I pulled into my apartment's garage. I walked to her door to help her out and took her hand like a proper suitor and she giggled. I bowed deeply and we proceeded to my apartment where I chastely kissed her on the cheek and turned to walk away. I felt her hand grab my wrist and pull and I turned around shocked at her forwardness.

"I like the propriety you are showing my good sir, but I need a kiss that will blow my mind like the end of a fairy tale."

"As you desire." I leaned to her and kissed her like my life depended on it and felt her sigh into the kiss and return it with equal ferocity.

**AN: Awww...I love fairy tales...if you haven't figured that one out. Next chapter, Edward got caught...and Bella's birthday! **


	15. Chapter 15

Caught/Surprise

I had fallen into a fitful sleep last night after finding nothing and practically dying in the Phoenix heat. I cranked the AC in the hotel room to make it feel like home and bundled the blankets around me tightly. I actually loved New York winters and sometimes would even sleep with the windows open. I couldn't imagine living somewhere like Phoenix and not being able to leave home for fear of frying myself instantly. I groggily got out of bed around 8 o'clock in the morning and moved straight to the coffee machine. I poured myself a mug of the free hotel coffee and nearly spit it out. I guess that I deserved it after not being awake enough to add my sugar and creamer. I promptly added the sugar available and tentatively took another sip, allowing the coffee to warm my frozen, tired body. I shuffled over to my laptop and turned it on. I opened my e-mail automatically and froze mid-sip. Another e-mail had been sent from her kidnappers.

It read:

"Edward, good job on finding us. Unfortunately, Miss Bella will pay for your mistake of finding us. We are in the process of moving her, if you manage to track us, you will notice we are at the airport and we are leaving the country. That will be all you need to know. Also, we would like to be reimbursed for the travel costs you have now incurred us. We determine that it will be another $30,000 in travel costs and $65,000 in a new location. Perhaps you should think more carefully before exploring again.

Yours, Caius"

I laid my head in my hands and felt my eyes tear. Not only are they moving her, but I was close and I missed her. I forwarded the message to Carlisle knowing that I would be in a heap of trouble from him; since I had promised to stay in my room. I walked to the shower to warm up from my freezing room and I thought back to the night when I tried to surprise Bella. It had been rather cold then as well.

I had been planning it for weeks. Ever since Bella had told me how much she liked winter in New York, I had been planning how to bring her winter for her summer birthday. I liked having something, like a favorite season, in common with her so I called in my friend who worked in a small movie business stationed in New York who agreed to sell me snow that I was going to put everywhere around her apartment and through areas in it. I had also bought tarps to protect her stuff but it would still be tricky to pull off because New York had a major heat wave right before her birthday and the snow melted in record time. I finally got the timing down and I was waiting for her when she walked in from her spa visit that I had given her as a present. She looked completely relaxed when she entered and then her jaw dropped. I smiled as she ran to a pile of snow and immediately grabbed a snowball to throw at me. I laughed as I made one to retaliate.

"Snow? In August?"

"Well, you mentioned how much you liked winter in New York so I wanted you to have your favorite things for your birthday."

"It's sweet of you…but…"

"But?"

"What happens when it melts?"

"Well, I plan on having the ability to shovel it to your balcony so it can evaporate before it damages anything."

"Alright, thank you!"

We proceeded to frolic in the snow and even made a summer snow woman complete with one of Bella's bikinis.

"This is the best birthday present ever. Thank you so much."

"I love you."

"As I love you."

**AN: Sorry it was so short! The next chapter is Carlisle's response to Edward getting caught and what happens when Bella gets drunk!**


	16. Chapter 16

Grounded/Bounced

I felt my cell phone buzz and I groaned as I knew Carlisle would be the one calling. I answered it and braced for his wrath.

"What is so hard to understand about stay in your hotel room and do not go anywhere?"

"Have you ever sat in a hotel room for 18 hours? I didn't fly out here to be useless, Carlisle. I want to find her."

"So what? If you want to be a knight in shining armor for your lass, you were born in the wrong century and you chose the wrong career."

"I just want her to be safe."

"I know that but you are making this a lot more difficult. If they really leave the country, and according to the amounts of money they requested they probably are, we can't catch them as easily."

"Can't you stop him from flying out of the country?"

"The time stamp on the e-mail was from about 3 am. He's long gone, Edward. As awful as what he is doing is, he is a good criminal."

"Unfortunately; why couldn't this be a stupid criminal who only wanted a couple hundred thousand for a fast car?"

"Because life never works the way we want it to."

"Of course not. So what am I supposed to do now? Obviously I was useless here in Phoenix."

"Yes, which is why I'm grounding you in New York. I don't care if we find out where she is now, you are not leaving the country to go find her. You are staying in New York where you'll be safe."

"Fine, Carlisle, but I am not happy about this."

"I didn't expect that you would be but I'm not happy about losing our lead so I guess we're in the same boat."

I hung up the phone and called to have my pilot start the jet to leave. I cleaned up the room and I packed my bag to leave Phoenix. As I drove to the airport, I passed the Sky Lounge which sent my memories drifting back to the night that I went to the Sky Lounge in Brooklyn with Bella.

I had asked her if she'd like to go out for dancing one night and she had surprisingly agreed. I knew she wasn't big on dancing but she appeared to want to be close to me nonetheless and we decided to go on a Friday night. I had called up some of my friends and they had recommended the Sky Lounge. My limo got to her apartment and she came rushing out teetering wildly in the highest pair of heels I had ever seen her in. They had to be at least 4 inches high with rope-like tendrils that weaved up her legs. I continued looking up her body to see a mini-dress that hugged every curve of her body. She entered the car and slid into my arms.

"How am I supposed to keep my hands off you tonight?" I growled into her ear.

"Did you think that I wanted you to?"

I smiled and pulled her close to me. We cuddled together in the back of my car and arrived at the club and bypassed the line since I had called ahead. We headed straight to the bar and I ordered her a Long Island Iced Tea and a scotch on the rocks for myself. I saw guys everywhere in the club diverting their attentions to her and I felt jealousy building up in my stomach. We finished our drinks and moved to the dance floor where various men tried to steal Bella for a dance. She laughed and politely told them no while dancing with me. I felt more jealousy building as I saw the number of men staring. I ran to the bathroom for a quick minute and when I got back, Bella was sitting at the bar with 10 guys around her downing shots. I rushed over immediately knowing her low alcohol tolerance. I moved all the guys aside and helped her out despite her protests.

"But I was having so much fun!"

"Baby, you do not want anymore alcohol. You and I are going home now. Besides, half of those men were undressing you with their eyes."

"What? Some of those guys were cute; which ones were doing the eye thing?"

I sighed inwardly to myself and I pushed her to the car to get her home. I took her straight to my apartment complex and heard her opinion of it immediately since she hadn't passed out yet.

"Why are you acting like this? You're not my father you know."

"Well if I don't take care of you, who is going to? You certainly weren't doing a very good job of it."

"I am a grown woman. I can take care of myself." She crossed her arms and pouted at me and I couldn't help but smile as she tried to look like a 9 year old despite the clothes she was wearing.

"We will talk about it in the morning when you will be more reasonable."

When we pulled into my apartment, she had fallen asleep. I gently lifted her up and carried her to my bed, carefully removing her heels but leaving her in her dress. I changed and laid down next to her and gently stroked her hair before falling asleep myself.

**AN: Thanks for reading...as usual please review! Next chapter, Bella finds out about Edward's dirty little secret...what do you think it is?**


	17. Chapter 17

Demands/Understanding

I landed in New York after sleeping for a good portion of the flight. I had just woken up when I'd left but I was already exhausted after discovering how close I had been to saving Bella. I rested happily on the plane and on the ride back to my apartment. I was happy to see that it was just as clean as I had left it which meant no one had broken in. I plugged my laptop in and opened my e-mail as I got a granola bar from the kitchen while it started up. I walked back to my laptop and saw a shiny new e-mail from Caius and opened it, expecting the worst.

"Edward,

We have safely arrived in our new destination. Bella is safe; or at least as safe as she can be while we are in possession of her. I am still waiting for the money I have requested from you. In fact, I figured we could just let it be a nice round figure. $25 million should be enough for the time being. I hope to hear from you soon. It won't be long until our devices are set up here and we can continue to torture your future bride and perhaps end the chances of that marriage ever happening."

I forwarded the e-mail automatically to Carlisle and once again contemplated my reasons for not outfitting Bella with a tracking device. I was quickly going to lose my mind at this rate and I wanted to slam my fist into the walls. I determined that would not be a productive idea and I would likely get injured; although I had been working out recently, I didn't think my fist was ready to meet the drywall.

I didn't know how to handle the situation. I had looked into tracking devices and warning meters shortly after Bella's run-in at the club with too much alcohol and she had regrettably discovered my plans…

I was lounging on the sofa watching the Yankees on TV when Bella walked into the room with her hands on her hips. I was immediately confused as she had been researching a few obscure things on my laptop. She simply pointed and gestured for me to follow her.

I complied and wondered what she was so worked up about. She led me to my laptop which had my history loaded up on the screen.

"What is this?"

"What is what?" I had learned quickly not to admit to anything until I was sure of what I was in trouble for. I learnt that lesson quickly with my parents when I was younger.

"This website here." She clicked on it and it loaded up the page.

"Um…that would be a website that sells tracking devices and warning meters for people to put inside of others."

"And why were you looking at it?"

"Well…" I saw the glare she was giving me and I knew thinking up a lie on my feet would not be a good course of action so I decided to go for the truth. "I was going to get one for you."

"WHAT? Why on Earth would I need these?"

"Well, I worry about you when you aren't here and this way I would instantly know if you were in danger."

"When were you going to tell me about this?"

"Uh…I wasn't?"

"Wrong answer. Do you not trust me or something? I am a grown woman. It isn't like I'm cheating on you."

"I don't think you are."

"Then what possible reason do you have for needing a tracking device for me?"

"I told you, it is in the essence of safety. I would like to have peace of mind when you aren't here and safe in my arms."

"I don't understand how you think I can't take care of myself. I took care of myself for 20 years and I seem to be just fine."

"I'm sorry that I am protective of you and I just want you to be safe."

"It's ok Edward; just tell me next time you think you want to do something like this. I mean I can understand where you are coming from. I would like to propose a sort of compromise."

"What's that?"

"I'll text you when I get places and leave them so you know that I am safe."

"No Bella, I don't want you to do that."

"Why not? Didn't you want to know that I would be safe? It seems like a good idea to me."

"Yes but now I feel like an overprotective parent."

Bella smiled and took my hand. "Yes, you are overprotective of me, but it is actually kind of sexy. What you will have to do is trust that I am a grown woman and I can take care of myself. However, when we are together, I have no problems with you taking complete care of me; like I said, it is kind of sexy."

I smiled at her and said "I can live with that I guess. So you said it is sexy?"

She blushed and tentatively responded "Yes…"

"Does that make you want to do anything with this _sexy_ man standing here?"

She grinned and said "Oh just get over here…" and she pulled me close and kissed me until we were both breathless.

**AN: Haha...I probably tricked you with that teaser yesterday...anyway, tomorrow's chapter preview...Bella meets his parents...so to speak.**


	18. Chapter 18

Tracking/Harlot (18)

My cell phone ringing broke me out of my dazed reminiscing of my past with Bella. I looked to see that Carlisle was calling before I answered it with a frustrated greeting.

"Hey Carlisle…"

"So…more money is their request and we still don't know anything about how you'll be getting her back and the torture threat still looms over our heads."

"_Our heads?_ Carlisle, she's not your fiancée. This is all on me. I should have been more careful with her or just given in already to these guys."

"Well, that is all in your own opinion Edward, but I think we've discussed that is probably not a good course of action."

"Honestly, I am closer and closer every day to giving into this guy. I just want her back. I know it's a long shot but I miss her, Carlisle."

"Well, I still think it's a bad idea to give into terrorism. I really think that you will reconsider…especially since it would be an awful mark on your record if your family ever got implicated in this."

"Carlisle did you call just to lecture me or do you actually have some good news for me?"

"I have good news. Well, at least vaguely good news. We tracked the IP address enough to deduce that Bella, or at least the computer this message was sent from, is located in Europe."

"EUROPE?"

"Yes, he did mention leaving the country. Unfortunately we don't know what European country they are in so we can't really make any calls yet. I have people still on it though. I am thinking that this was a very smart move though on his part since we have little jurisdiction internationally…as I already mentioned to you."

"Thanks Carlisle."

"No problem. We'll call with anymore developments as they come."

I hung up the phone and sighed deeply. The comment that Carlisle made about my family getting implicated really hit me. I hadn't been thinking about how this could affect my family. It was typical of me to be self-centered like this but I didn't realize that the good guy image I had built since becoming rich had been placed in such jeopardy. I remembered the first time my parents had met Bella and the absolute scandal that had been. My parents never really believed that good guy image and they immediately assumed that Bella was like the trophy wives or girlfriends that many of my friends had…

"Why am I doing this?" Bella asked as she finished pulling her heels on.

"Because my parents respect appearances."

"But, I don't understand. How will they see my feet?"

"It's the height thing dear. They are all about how things look."

"So will they even care about what comes out of my mouth?"

"I'm sure they will listen to whatever you say, darling."

"Edward, why do I have to meet them over a video chat?"

"Because they live in LA and I don't like to visit them. I also don't want to hear their judgments for longer than necessary."

"Judgments?"

"Bella, just relax and be yourself. It will be fine."

My attempts at relaxing her seemed to be fruitless and I sighed against the couch we were sitting on. I kissed her softly on the cheek and I felt her relax some.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you. You look dashing."

I grinned at that and heard the sound I had been dreading. My parents call was transferred in and they were displayed on the TV screen. I had hooked it up especially for this.

"Hello Edward!" My mother, Elizabeth, practically squealed at seeing me. I wasn't kidding. I hated visiting my parents, sure, they loved my good fortune now but they never thought I'd amount to anything when I was younger.

"Hello mother, father." My dad, Edward, simply nodded towards the camera. He was a man of few words. "I'd like to introduce you to Bella, my girlfriend."

Bella stood and timidly spoke "He-hello."

"Well isn't she a sight, Edward?"

"Yes, Elizabeth."

"Tell us about you two, darling, how did you meet?"

Pleased with how things were going, Bella spoke a little louder and smiled. "Well, we were at a party and my friend had gotten drunk so I got a ride home from your son. Nothing happened until a couple weeks later when I ran into him at a different party my friend had dragged me to. He was kind enough to give me a ride home again and I fell for him after we had talked at the party."

While Bella was talking, I noticed my mother and father tighten their lips and stiffen. They hadn't actually approved of my lifestyle of partying at night. I placed my arm around Bella and held her close to me on the couch.

"Well, Edward, you've got yourself a real prize; a regular harlot."

My mouth dropped open at my mother's words and Bella's eyes began to water. "Mother! She is anything but a harlot!"

Bella interrupted me and said, "I can defend myself Edward." She stood and moved slightly closer to the camera. "Mr. and Mrs. Masen, I can see that you want the very best for your son and that is a very honorable trait for parents to have. However, there comes a time when you need to trust your son's judgment. I can tell you all night that I am a good person and that where your son and I met is no bearing on who I am. I am a medical school student and I am working very hard on my research. I refuse to believe that you can possibly assume I am a whore simply because I met your son at a party."

My mother had an evil smirk on her face and she stood as well. "Well, Bella, I admire your feistiness although I am still convinced that you are simply a brainy harlot."

I stood up and wrapped my arm around Bella. "Mother, that is enough."

"No Edward. I want to tell your mother one more thing. Mrs. Masen, I have not had sex with your son, despite having been in a relationship with him for nearly 2 years. If that doesn't prove my innocence, I don't know what does."

"Perhaps you are only doing it because you know that teasing a man is the only way to keep him interested in a nerd like you. Withholding your body seems like a good option, it's how I was able to get married. Besides, I know that you are simply after his money. That's all those party girls are after, money and sex." My mother sat down and smirked to herself.

Bella had tears going down the sides of her face now. "Mrs. Masen, I do not care in the least about your son's money and I love your son. Edward is the best thing in my life right now."

I looked toward my mother, "she actually has stopped me from spending exorbitant amounts of money on her."

"It's called a game, Edward. That's all it is. She holds back until the wedding and then she will run you dry!"

"Mother, this conversation is officially over. I do not care about your approval anymore if this is how you are going to treat us. Have a nice evening, father. I am sorry this didn't go as planned."

I disconnected the cord and heard heavy sobs coming from the couch. I walked over to Bella and lifted her onto my lap, wrapping my arms around her.

"I'm sorry, darling. Their opinion doesn't matter. I love you."

She mumbled something unintelligible and I leaned towards her, "what did you say darling?"

She lifted her head up and looked me square in the eyes, "how can you say that, Edward? Of course it matters! My parents adore you and I want your parents to approve of me. I don't know how I can possibly live up to their standards. I just want to be looked at as at least decent in their eyes."

Seeing her pleas, I realized that this wasn't over yet. I would fight if I had to, anything to get my parents to approve of the woman I loved.

I brushed some tears from her eyes and she gave a little smile. "We will convince my parents of your intentions towards me. I promise." Her smile grew and she kissed me before going to the bathroom to clean up.

I just wish I knew how I could possibly convince my stubborn parents…

**AN: Hey readers! Firstly, harlot is just a somewhat classier way of saying whore if you didn't know…and secondly, next chapter is going to resolve the parent conflict… **


	19. Chapter 19

Donation/Approval (19)

I sat at my computer, surfing the internet for how to deal with terrorists. Not surprisingly, there wasn't much there. I didn't think this was information that was generally needed in the public domain. I sighed and took a drink of the hot cocoa I had made myself. I recoiled as I realized I had burned my mouth. I switched through web pages at the speed of light until I got to my email. I opened the emails from Caius and I read through them again. I knew he wanted the money for bad reasons but I also knew that what he was doing was worse in my opinion.

Besides, even if I was helping a terrorist, I had the ability to warn law enforcement before he could do something really bad. Also, I figured Demetri would help me out if he heard that they were actually purchasing anything. Finally, I could get the bank to withdraw most of the funds if he went too far with them.

I had managed to convince myself rather well that I could fix any problems I created by actually giving them the money they requested. I was worth nearly half a billion dollars so 25 million was chump change. I called the bank and had them move the money to the special account I had set up for these guys. I then e-mailed Caius and told him that the 25 million had been deposited. I waited anxiously for a response while drinking my hot cocoa.

I thought quickly for a moment that someone might wonder where my money went and then I remembered that I was the only one with access to my bank account. I had removed my parents from access to it after they had been so prejudiced against Bella; although that ended up working itself out in the end after all.

I had been emailing my parents trying to convince them of Bella's innocence and integrity for weeks. I desperately wanted her to be happy as she had been sulking for about two weeks now. I often took time to tell her how she looked lovely and how much I cared for her but it was a useless effort. I asked my parents, well my mother, what it would take to convince her of Bella's intentions. Mother had no real answer for me though. I called my dad one day when Bella was out.

"Hello, father."

"Edward? Look. I don't want to get in the middle of this."

"Please, I need your help."

"I don't know what your mother's problem is. Honestly, I'm just happy you found someone so down-to-earth that seems to care for you."

"Wait, you actually approve?"

"Of course. I can see how happy you were when you introduced her to us."

"Why didn't you defend her to mom then?"

"Son, you know how mom gets when she gets on her high horse."

"Do you think we could set them up on the video chat again and see what happens?"

"Well, it's worth a shot. I'll try to talk some sense into mom before it happens."

"Thanks dad."

A couple of days later, I asked Bella to come over and I told her about my father and I's conversation. She initially seemed reluctant to talk to my mother again but I slowly wore her down to where she agreed but only if she could pull the plug on the conversation at anytime. I agreed and also promised that I would stay with her.

I heard the sound and turned the camera on once again and said "hello."

"Hello, Edward dear."

I heard Bella say, "Hello Mrs. Masen. I want to speak with you about my intentions towards your son." With that introduction, she went into a virtual play-by-play of the last two years of our life. She spared no details and told everything honestly. I watched my mother as Bella told our story. My father had his arm around her and I saw that as a good sign at least. She seemed to have softened up somewhat and when Bella finished she spoke calmly.

"Bella, I thank you greatly for your honesty with us. I am sorry I was so hard on you but I am and always have been very careful with my son as he is my only child. I also didn't approve of his lifestyle for many years and I am glad to see him with someone as seemingly down-to-earth as you."

"Thank you Mrs. Masen."

"Please, call me Elizabeth. It has been a pleasure to talk to you and meet you…so to speak."

"The same to you, Elizabeth."

"Take care of my son, dear…especially his heart."

"I will…thank you again."

I saw my father wink as I turned the camera off and saw Bella smiling.

"They like me," she said to me simply.

"Of course. How could they not with your honesty?"

She smiled and cuddled up to me, content with the approval of my parents under her belt.

**AN: Tomorrow, chapter 20! Will he get her back? He paid after all, also, you will see what happened when Edward had Bella a little too distracted…as usual, please review! They make me super excited! **


	20. Chapter 20

More/Help (20)

I finally heard the bing on my computer alerting me to new e-mail while I was heating something up to eat. I ran over to my computer, nearly tripping on a chair and opened the email from Caius.

"You didn't really think it would be that easy, did you? I mean you can't honestly be that naïve. Although, considering that you did give me the money and let me withdraw all of it, you must be pretty naïve. The good news is that I am in a better mood which means no torture for your pretty little fiancée today…we might even feed her. The bad news is that I actually just made a few calls and I need 10 million more in shipping and inflation fees. Hope to hear from you soon, Caius."

I got on the phone and called the bank. I sent the money immediately, responded and forwarded the e-mail to Carlisle. I don't even want to know how mad he is going to get with me. I needed a distraction. Bella has been my happy place for so long that I can barely function without her. I would forget all my problems and lose coherency around her occasionally…to the point that I made some mistakes in judgment that Bella wasn't exactly too happy with.

Bella walked into my apartment; she had recently sold hers and was living with me full time, with tears in her eyes. I immediately walked over to her.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

"I'm failing."

"What?"

"I'm failing one of my classes. I have a D."

"How? You go to class every day, and you study hard for exams."

"Not as hard as I should be apparently. You've been quite distracting as of late."

"Well, we had to get you stuff when you moved in here and you've been getting settled."

"I don't have time for settling anymore. The last test of the semester is next Monday and if I don't ace it then I don't pass the class with at least a B."

"Well, is there anything I can do?"

"Leave me alone while I study please. I would go to the library but I study best alone."

"Whatever you need, you have it my darling."

"Thank you."

I hugged her and went to my laptop. She had mentioned the class was an advanced anatomy course. I found her teacher and sent him an email. I offered him $1,000 to increase her grade. I realized in hindsight, again not the best idea, but I was simply trying to help Bella.

The next day Bella stormed into the apartment in a rage.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"What are you screaming about?"

"Why did my professor keep me after class to tell me that someone offered him money to pass me in the class?"

"Well, I thought it was a good idea."

"You can't pay your way to good grades!"

"Why not?"

"Money is not the answer. Hard work can be the answer."

"I know about hard work. I was trying to help you so you wouldn't be so stressed. I felt bad for how you were yesterday."

"I feel worse now that my professor thinks that I can't handle myself and manage my life so I can get good grades without having to pay for them."

"Oh."

"Yes! 'oh' is right!"

"Look, I'm sorry. I just figured that maybe a bit of money might soften him up and grade you a little easier."

"I understand where you're coming from; I really do, but you can't always take care of me like this. I am a big girl, let me live my life. I might make mistakes but I can try really hard to fix them, just like I'm going to fix this…but my way…through hard work."

"Alright. I'm sorry again. Forgive me?"

"Always, now go away I need to study."

I sighed, "fine, see you later."

I went over to my email and wrote her professor a letter explaining more about who I was and why I offered that. I apologized repeatedly and told him not to take it out on Bella. I signed off and looked at where Bella was studying her books and smiled to myself and thought of how lucky I was to have such an amazing girlfriend.

**AN: Next chapter will be 2 discussions.**


	21. Chapter 21

Seriously/Honest (21)

I picked up the phone dreading the voice I knew would be on the line.

"Hi, Carlisle."

"Edward…you just couldn't help yourself could you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Really? You gave Caius all the money he asked for?"

"What was I supposed to do? Wait until Caius harmed her irreparably?"

"No, just wait until we caught him."

"Well, I can tell how good that is going."

"Edward, we are working as hard as we can."

"And he is working even harder to cover his tracks so you can't find him."

"We'll find him Edward, I promise."

"I believe that you will eventually find him, but Bella means too much for me to just let you take a chance with this."

"Sometimes you have to trust other people, Edward."

"Well it's too late for that now. I made one mistake though."

"What?"

"I let him actually take all the money out of the account."

"Wait, maybe we can track where he made the withdrawal from. Can I have the account number that you gave him?"

"Sure, it's 132653-94."

"Well, your mistake may have been helpful. It will take a while to figure this out because Europe has slightly different banks and we have to trace it but we might find her. Keep me posted on e-mails. Please, don't send them any more money."

"I can't guarantee that Carlisle. The amount is what it is dependent on."

"Well, try to hold back for as long as you can, I'm sure they are still feeding her by the way."

"I hope so…"

"Just relax Edward, it will all work out."

"Well, I've thought that before, and been wrong."

"This time it will, I feel good about this break in the case. My guys will get right on this. I'll call as soon as I have something."

"Thanks again Carlisle. I really owe you one."

When I got off the phone, I felt a little hopeful that we might actually get Bella. I wasn't kidding though about the thinking something would work out when it didn't. I've thought that our relationship has been wonderful for every step of the way. Unfortunately, Bella apparently disagreed because the one night she decided we needed to talk was one of the worst nights of my life. I hadn't even noticed anything wrong…

"Hey, Edward." Bella greeted me in a sad sounding voice.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

"Can we talk?"

"Absolutely, what do you want to talk about?"

"I feel like our relationship is dying."

"What?"

"I feel like it's lost its passion and fire and it's just dead and dying in the water."

"I love you so much more than I did the day I met you. In fact, I love you more and more each day we are together."

"Edward, I'm not saying that we don't love each other, I'm saying it feels like we've been married for ten years rather than only dating for two and a half."

"So, how do we fix it?"

"That's why I want to talk."

"Well, I could buy you stuff, like flowers or jewelry more often."

"Edward, that's not going to solve anything."

"Oh, do you not like those gifts? I could take you more places spontaneously."

"Edward, spending money on me isn't the answer. I've told you before what I think about you only fixing things through money. Relationships involve work; we can't just keep putting it off."

"I don't honestly think that there is anything wrong with our relationship. I feel no routines. We go out on dates. What is the real problem here?"

"I'm confused. You know I have commitment issues I'm trying to work out. Your parents acceptance of me makes me think that you want to marry me and I don't know if I'm ready for that. I can't really handle anything else on my plate."

"Why do you keep bringing up marriage? I told you that I would wait until you were ready…I will, I promised."

"Why do I feel like this then? I don't even understand."

"Perhaps you just need reassurance. I love you more than you can possibly imagine. You have filled my life with light just by being alive."

"And you have made me feel whole and loved again in a way that I never thought would be possible after I was made a fool of before."

"See, it's working. You are smiling again."

"I am…maybe you're right and we do still have the fire and spontaneity in our relationship. I just think I'm actually more scared maybe that you might leave me."

"I also promised you that I would never leave you. I keep my promises. I really won't leave you…I already know that being without you isn't living so I will never do that."

"I just find it amazing that someone feels so incredibly passionate about me. I love how you make me feel and I am so happy to have found you and I'm sorry that I thought there was anything wrong."

"Look, we actually worked something out. It does feel good to do this without buying a gift, just talking, you and me."

"I'm glad you feel that way."

I pulled her into my lap on the couch and began to slowly kiss her lips and I felt her respond by kissing me back in a way that made every bone in my body ache with the feelings I felt for the beautiful woman in my arms.

**AN: Next chapter we will have a birthday surprise of sorts…please Review this!**


	22. Chapter 22

Carte Blanche (22)

I opened up my e-mail to see yet another e-mail from Bella's kidnappers. At this point, I couldn't understand why they didn't just call me to deliver all the bad news…I mean it at least would've been faster. I opened the e-mail and skimmed past what it said and my jaw dropped.

"Dear Edward, we appreciate the money you have given us thus far. It has been very useful in our endeavors of late. However, we have just recently learned of a miscalculation on our mathematician's part as well as our chemist's part. Unfortunately we do not know how much these mistakes will cost us. As a result, we need a blank check of sorts from you. We would like access to your bank account…your entire bank account. This needs to be done within the next 12 hours. If this does not occur, then I will not only continue torturing little Miss Bella, but I will call the press and tell them about your previous funding to a terrorist organization. Also, don't even think of trying to use this in your favor…Bella will pay if you tell them that you only did it to save her…not that most press people would look kindly on that anyway. Your twelve hours are disappearing…I'd start sending the information soon, Edward."

I sighed and pounded my laptop's keyboard a few times in frustration and ran my hands through my hair. I walked over to my liquor cabinet and poured myself a hard scotch trying to soothe the ache of the latest threat. I hated giving anyone access to my bank account, let alone a terrorist. When Bella asked for my credit card at one point, I nearly had an aneurysm…

"Edward?" Bella was timidly approaching me and called my name in a quiet voice.

"Yes, dear?"

"I was wondering if I might borrow something from you."

"What's that?"

"Well, I want your credit card."

"My what?"

"Your credit card."

"What's wrong with yours?"

"Nothing."

"Why do you need mine?"

"Yours has a much higher limit."

"What are you buying?"

"Um…that's a secret." She was heavily diverting her gaze from mine as she tried to keep whatever her plans were a secret.

"You can't keep a secret if it involves my credit card which by the way has no limit."

"But it is a secret! It's really important that no one knows what I'm buying."

"Bella, are you buying something illegal?"

"Edward! What kind of girl do you take me for?"

"Bella, I don't believe that you would but all this secret-keeping stuff is making me wonder."

"Edward, I promise that it isn't illegal. I just can't tell you what it is for ok?"

"Why not? I mean it is my money you are spending…I think I deserve to know what it's for."

"Because Edward…it's for your birthday. Are you happy now? I ruined the surprise."

"Why can't you just get me something yourself?"

"Because you get me these fancy elaborate gifts and I can't afford something like that."

"So in effect I am buying my own birthday present but I won't know what it is?"

"Yes."

"Well that seems silly."

Bella's eyes filled with tears as I shot down her idea. I sat down next to her and stroked her hair.

"Bella, I like what you have given me. I liked those cufflinks you got me, they were sweet since they had our initials engraved."

"Edward, those were pathetic. I just want to get you something as spectacular as you got me."

"What was your plan anyway, darling?"

"I was going to rent out an auditorium and get one of your favorite bands to come give a private show."

"Well, that would've been nice but how about we just go out to dinner instead and then come back here and sleep the night away. That would make me happy. See, the thing is, that when you are surrounded by such nice things, simple things make you happiest. I would like to have a private concert for just the two of us but I would really like to just spend time with just the two of us. I don't need fancy things to make me happy any more than you claim you do."

"So what, we are two simple people who have way too much money at hand?"

"Yes, but the money enables us to do nice things with each other like going to nicer restaurants and such."

"True, I do like that Chez place you took me to."

"Then how about we spend my birthday there and then come back here. I'll pay for dinner…your company is the only gift I need."

"Edward…"

"What?"

"It just feels weird…you still get me such opulent gifts…"

"This is what I want most…think of it that way."

"Alright…if you insist, but it still feels really weird."

"I do…thank you."

We ended up doing just that for my birthday and I enjoyed it immensely. I was happy to be with Bella and she actually ended up getting me a few things I had mentioned wanting for the apartment like some new silverware and some new socks. It didn't seem like much but the gifts showed that she cared enough to listen to even the most mediocre things that I said; it also made me feel like a married couple almost since she gave me things that would make a house more like a home.

**AN: Rose and Alice (kind of) will be in the next chapter due to a reader request! See, if you review, I try to comply with your wishes! Plus we get to see Jealous Bella.**


	23. Chapter 23

Mine (23)

The caller ID on my phone played a siren and I knew Carlisle was calling. I answered the phone, hoping he could offer me some advice.

"Hey, Carlisle."

"Edward, please tell me that you didn't give them carte blanche already."

"No, Carlisle."

"What are you going to do?"

"I honestly don't know. I mean it seems that this is the only sure fire way to get her back."

"You could wait until we have a better lead."

"Not really, I mean if I give them everything I have, then they'll have to give her back, what more can they get from me otherwise?"

"Well, I'm not sure but you're worth a lot of money, right?"

"500 million."

"Exactly, and you know what that kind of money can buy. Is she really worth destroying the world as we know it over?"

"Maybe."

"You can't seriously be considering this."

"Is it your decision?"

"No, but I am the police and this is aiding terrorism so technically I could arrest you."

"Come on, don't you think we could stop him if we had more of an idea of what was going on?"

"Maybe, but I'm not sure giving them more money is the answer to this."

"Carlisle, I can't see her get tortured anymore. They've stopped for the time being but that won't last…you know that. They probably only stopped because they have a lot on their plate after getting some money. They must be price comparison shopping; soon though the money will be out and I will have to watch my angel get tortured by these demons and I can't handle that."

"Edward, I understand what you mean, I mean if I had to see my wife get tortured like that, I would lose it too. However, I think letting law enforcement take control is the better idea. We have more resources."

"You guys still don't have a pinpoint on her location and Europe is a big place. We are running out of time."

"Exactly, what happens if he goes to the press?"

"I don't know. My parents will lose it I'm sure."

"Then we're stuck…but I really hope you'll consider the ramifications of losing your money."

"Carlisle, it's my money…not yours, not my parents. I can do what I want with it."

"Edward, if what you are doing impacts other people, in a potentially hazardous way, it is my business what you are doing with your money."

"I just don't know. I'll wait as long as I can to make the choice. Try your hardest to get the information you need."

"Thanks for waiting Edward, we'll do our best."

I hung up the phone and laid down on my couch and stared at the ceiling. I wished that I could fix all this easier and had been more careful with Bella for the millionth time since this all began. I didn't know what would happen if this went public. I mean Bella would be hurt too, her friends knew my name and who I was. I would scar her reputation as well as my own. Her friends…they were quite the characters alright…I remember meeting them early in our relationship…that was quite the adventure.

"Edward, are you ready?"

I had just finished sliding my tie on and I grabbed my jacket to meet Bella in the living room. I walked out of my bedroom and stopped in my tracks.

"You look beautiful."

I saw her blush and smile which made her look even more beautiful. She was wearing a little black dress that hugged every curve of her body.

"Come on, silly, we'll be late to the mixer."

"Why am I coming to this anyway?"

"Because I have to and I don't like going to these alone."

"Fine, but only because I love you."

We arrived only slightly late and quickly got drinks. We were at a mixer to meet the new researchers in Bella's lab. It seemed I was being dragged around as her trophy boyfriend, an interesting change for me. I didn't mind this though since I cared so much for Bella.

"Hey Bella, who is this?" A woman came up to us and asked Bella this in a very interrogative voice.

"Oh, Rosalie, this is Edward, my boyfriend."

"Wait, Edward, as in Edward Masen?"

"That would be my name ma'am."

"It is an honor to meet you, sir. I have read about you…everything that Page Six reports at least and I find you to be amazing. Bella, how did you get such a catch?"

Bella began to explain how we met but it quickly became evident that Rosalie was only staring at me. I turned my eyes away from her and nudged Bella. When she realized what was going on, her eyes narrowed instantly and she took my hand and we left the table.

"So, is this Rosalie a friend of yours?"

"Not anymore."

I chuckled and met a few of Bella's other friends. I noticed all the women staring like I was a piece of meat. One specifically stood out in my mind.

"Hello Bella, who is this handsome young man on your arm?"

"Hello, my name is Edward Masen, who are you?"

"I am Alice. Do you mind if I ask you something Edward?"

"No."

"Is that an Armani suit?"

"Um, yes it is."

"Oh, I love Armani on guys. I am very impressed with this pick, Bella." She turned her attention back to me and said "you really ought to teach Bella more about fashion. I can see that you know what you should wear and as you can tell, Bella is a little behind on the trends."

I felt Bella tensing up beside me and I grinned.

"Actually, Alice, I love how Bella dresses, but thanks for the compliment." I took Bella's hand and as we left, I glanced back at Alice who was practically fuming at my rejection of her fashion advice.

"Thanks Edward, Alice is always on me about my fashion habits, but I don't understand why someone who will be in scrubs all day needs to dress fancy."

"I like this dress, maybe some more stuff like this…"

"Haha…behave…"

"Fine…if I must."

We continued to enjoy the party with no more mishaps and finally got to head home.

"Well, at least you won't have to endure any more of those parties."

"Why not?"

"Because, I am the only one who gets to drool all over you…this was too much for me…"

"Awww…somebody's jealous."

"You are mine…and I plan on keeping it that way."

"Yes ma'am!" I smiled and put my arm on her leg as I drove us home into the night.

**AN: I really like this chapter…next we have Demetri show up again…with news for us.**


	24. Chapter 24

Development (24)

My phone rang a different tone than Carlisle's so I looked at it curiously before answering.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Edward."

"Demetri, is something wrong?"

"Actually, I have some information for you on your person you were asking about, Caius."

"What? Did he buy something from you?"

"Yes, he actually is in the ordering process for serious weapons. This guy is really bad news, Edward."

"What'd he order?"

"I'll fax you his initial order. It's quite hefty."

"What's the total he spent?"

"Almost 20 million."

"Great…do you have anything useful for me?"

"One thing, I know where the stuff is going. He would never expect you to be in league with me so I'm pretty sure this is the final destination of the items."

"Really? Where?"

"Italy."

"What's the majority of the stuff?"

"Um, mainly explosives actually. Not so much guns and weapons like that."

"Well, that confirms the terror idea. How much of an address do you have?"

"The whole thing. Edward, don't go busting in there…if he's ordering all this stuff, he isn't afraid to use it."

"You actually care about me?"

"Yes. I actually do have a heart despite what you may believe."

"Give the information to your police person. He will be able to take care of it from there."

"Thanks Demetri, you'll call if there's any new developments?"

"Yes, of course."

I hung up and looked at my fax machine, a 5 page list of items was spitting out. I glanced through the main components and picked my phone back up. I called my pilot and let him know that I would be leaving shortly and he needed to prepare for a European flight. He agreed and I threw stuff into my suitcase again. I closed and locked the door as I rushed out the door, heading to rescue Bella.

**AN: A trans-Atlantic flight will be fun for Bella and Edward in the next chapter! Get excited!**


	25. Chapter 25

Flying (25)

I boarded my plane and turned all my electronics off. Despite having my own plane, I enjoyed having some technology free time when I was in the sky. I hadn't told Carlisle I was leaving because I wanted to get out without him stopping me. I told the pilot where we were going and he instantly took off once he got clearance. I wasn't worried about getting stopped now because soon we would be over the Atlantic. I laid back and let my mind travel back to a much happier time…the first time that Bella and I flew together on a cross-Atlantic trip.

I was forced to travel to England on a business trip during Bella's spring break. I felt bad for ditching her during her only break this semester so I invited her to come with me. Of course she accepted instantly and I was thrilled. I had enough free time planned so that we could spend time together seeing the sights. I was also anxious to get to spend the 8 hour flight with her. The time finally came to get on the plane and I led her onto the plane.

Last time when I had her meet me in France, I had sent her on a commercial flight flying first class and I flew back with her the same way. Since she was seeing my jet for the first time, I looked at her carefully, and I saw her jaw drop. She froze in the entrance like a deer in headlights before walking around and opening everything she could get her hands on. I smiled broadly as she turned towards me.

"This is amazing, Edward."

"I'm glad you approve Bella."

We sat down and buckled in for takeoff. I held her hand and we sipped a little glass of champagne. Before too long, the seatbelt sign was off and we had reclined our seats to create a bed of sorts. I was lying next to Bella, running my hands along her body as she moved closer to me and began kissing me.

"How long is this flight again?"

"About 8 hours, why?"

"What do you say we make this more interesting?"

"How exactly do you define interesting, my Bella?"

"How about I show you?"

With that she started unbuttoning my shirt and slid it off my body. I caught her drift quickly and I slowly began to peel her clothes from her body. I felt her taking the rest of my clothes off and continued taking my time exploring her skin.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Bella?"

"What better place?"

With her words I got turned on dramatically and pressed against her body. She moaned delightedly and I kissed her some more.

Over the course of the next eight hours, we made love repeatedly and I knew that we wouldn't be getting any of my planned sightseeing done since we would be enjoying each other's company immensely in the following days.


	26. Chapter 26

Messages (26)

I arrived safely in Italy and checked into a hotel that had vacancy. I then rented a dark car and drove to Caius's hideout. I drove slowly around the building and saw armed guards packing some serious muscle. I determined quickly that this wouldn't be easy. I headed back to the hotel and I turned my laptop and cell phone on. I had about 40 messages on both things and I realized that my twelve hours had expired while I was in a sky. Caius had sent a message saying that I was out of time and he was going to the press. He also sent me the link to the press release on it. My phone had many messages from Carlisle trying to get me to not give in and had a few suggestions. Then there were about 20 messages in both places that were from my parents and friends. I was in serious trouble. On the upside, I wasn't in trouble with the law since Carlisle had called the FBI as he texted me and let them know the real story. I was just in serious trouble with my parents.

I called my mom for a conversation I was dreading. Almost as much as the one I dreaded to ask Bella's father for her hand in marriage.

I knew that Bella wasn't as against the idea of marriage at this point due to recent talks and how she had been acting recently. I wanted to go to Chicago to ask her father in person for his blessing on the marriage but I determined that it would be overly suspicious to Bella and I truly wanted this to be a surprise.

"Hello, Mr. Swan, this is Edward Masen."

"Oh, Edward. How can I help you?"

"Actually I wanted to ask you a question."

"Alright, what is it?"

"Can I have your blessing on marrying Bella?"

"Have you already asked her?"

"Of course not, sir. I want your permission first in this matter."

"Do you think she will say yes?"

"I wouldn't ask her if I thought otherwise."

"Do you love her, Edward?"

"Absolutely."

"Then I think you know my answer, son."

"Really?"

"Definitely, if you really love Bella then I couldn't have her in better hands. I also think you will keep her grounded despite that god awful job of hers."

"Thank you so much sir. I really appreciate it."

"Good luck."

I hung up the phone and smiled to myself. I wasn't expecting it to be so easy.

**AN: Next chapter is the conversation with his mom. We are in the final chapter run…please review!**


	27. Chapter 27

Mother (27)

"Hi, mom."

"EDWARD!"

"Yes, mother?"

"What do you think you are doing?"

"What do you mean mom?"

"I mean why are you giving millions of dollars to terrorist organizations?"

"Because they have Bella."

"What?"

"Bella's been kidnapped mom."

"So, terrorists kidnapped Bella and you are giving them money to get her back?"

"Yes…"

"Sure, like I believe that for a second."

"You should, mom. It's the truth."

"Why would Bella get kidnapped?"

"Because I would never give up money willingly otherwise."

"I just can't fathom why you would do it anyway."

"Mom, they were torturing her."

"What? How do you know that?"

"They sent video messages of torturing her with electric shocks."

"Oh my god, Edward. I can't believe these people…but honestly. Is she really worth that much?"

"I mean, you could have—"

"I could have what mom? Let Bella die? Let the only woman who has ever meant more to me than family die? So what? So they could go after you next? Is that what you want?"

"No…but honey, you have put a lot of people's reputations at risk here."

"Do you think I don't know that?"

"I'm not sure. I can't help thinking that if you did then maybe you would have just done whatever these people asked sooner so they hadn't told the world about your 'donations.'"

"Mom, they wanted carte blanche to my entire bank account."

"Wow. Honey, why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"The less people involved, the safer they were."

"Why don't you take your story to the press?"

"No one would believe it. You didn't."

"Besides, I am sure that telling the press would only make the terrorists torture Bella more."

"Honey, I understand your concern for her but how much does this girl really mean to you?"

"Obviously she is my life, mother. That is why I am in a hotel in Italy and I have just been to where she is being held."

"Then why don't you rescue her so we can get done with this already?"

"Do you think I don't want to? She is being held by a lot of armed men or I would."

"Well don't do anything too stupid, although if you get yourself killed, then your popularity and public opinion might increase, so sure go ahead."

"I hope you don't mean that mother."

"Of course not darling, but please, be safe…and make sure she's really worth it…did you ever think that maybe after all you've put her through, she might not want you back?"

"Goodbye, mother."

"Goodbye."

I thought briefly about what my mother said and then pushed it aside. I couldn't imagine Bella not wanting me anymore. She had promised that she wouldn't leave me but she was being put through a lot more than either of us ever imagined. Now I doubted myself and maybe Bella wouldn't like how I had put her through so much. I can't imagine that…I have to focus on the now and rescuing her before I can deal with her reaction.

**AN: I know chapters are getting shorter and this one and the next one have no flashbacks but I did that on purpose. These are all about building up to the finale. I have one final flashback for you in the last two chapters…you'll like it too. Next chapter is a call to Demetri.**


	28. Chapter 28

Backup

I paced in my hotel room, trying to figure out how to help Bella. I couldn't call Carlisle; he'd be too angry at me for not telling him where I was going to help me. Besides, even if he did, it isn't likely that Italian law enforcement would be overly useful since they wouldn't believe the story. I had to take matters into my own hands. I knew just the person to call.

"Hello?"

"Hello Demetri."

"Edward? What is it?"

"I'm in Italy. I just scouted out the place but they have seriously armed men guarding the place. I need advice and weapons."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"What? How else am I going to deal with this?"

"Oh, I don't know, a rational way?"

"This is rational to me. What would you propose?"

"Tell your police friend and get him to take care of it."

"He won't get here fast enough. Time is of the essence. I know you can get stuff places faster than commercial flights. I need weapons to get her out."

"Ok, well, even if I get you weapons, how are you going to get in and out of there without her getting hurt in the crossfire?"

"That's what I need your advice for."

"Alright, what did you see of the setup of the building?"

I briefly explained how the building was set up and Demetri occasionally asked questions for more details. I didn't know much seeing as how I didn't enter but he said it was enough.

"Well, based on what you're telling me, without more information, this is a suicide mission for you and will likely get fair Bella killed. Seriously, Edward, just call the cops."

"No. I have an idea…can you get me a bomb?"

"Edward…what's your plan?"

"Nope, fewer people involved is better."

"Ugh, fine, what size are we talking?"

"Something big enough to make an impact but more grenade style in throwing, but smaller than an nuke so that I don't die from detonating it."

"Alright. I still have all your account stuff so I'll just bill it. It will be there in a couple hours. What hotel are you at?"

I rattled off the name and room number and hung up with him. I laid down to rest for a couple hours before I went into the risk of a lifetime.

**AN: Alright…I told you it'd be short but trust me, the last two chapters will be worth it. Look forward to the 'final stand' and the proposal…**


	29. Chapter 29

Final Stand

I woke to my phone ringing in my room.

"Hello, Mr. Masen?"

"This is he."

"We have a package delivery for you in the lobby. Would you like it brought to your room?"

"Yes, thank you."

I got out of bed and changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and answered the door.

"Your package."

"Thanks." I pressed a 100 dollar bill into his hand and closed the door. I opened the package and saw the bomb. I was impressed by Demetri's professionalism. He included detailed instructions on how to use it. I would have probably blown myself up had he not. I studied the instructions carefully and examined the device very slowly, making sure that I understood everything involved. I liked to be sure my plan would work well so I was very careful to understand. I was this precise with everything in my life…even when I proposed to Bella.

I knew that she was simple but I also wanted to blow her away with this proposal. I wanted to shock her and make her go so speechless that she couldn't even answer. I remembered her love of fairy tales so I knew I would have to do something with that and I also thought that it would be cool to incorporate her favorite things. I had scouted locations for weeks and finally decided that renting out the top of the empire state building would be a good idea. I could tell her it was an anniversary dinner present. I called in her favorite Italian food place and got them to cater it. I also went shopping for the perfect outfits for us.

I was planning on doing a modern fairy tale twist. I would wear a tuxedo and get her a beautiful evening gown that she would be stunning in. I custom designed the gown so that it would look like an old-style with a modern twist. I also ordered something very similar to a glass slipper but more comfortable. I called a florist and got lilies and roses ordered to cover the entire area. I made sure she had a clear schedule for the night and made her promise not to work late. I was still in the process of designing the perfect ring though. I was becoming very excited for her to see what I did for her and I knew that this night would be memorable.

I left the hotel and paid my bill. After all, I didn't know if I would be returning. I also sent a text message and e-mail to both my parents and Carlisle. The message to Carlisle told him where Bella was and that I was about to go in to try to rescue her. My parent's message told them that I loved them but life without Bella, was no life at all so I hoped I would see them again and if not, I would see them in the afterlife. I then powered down my phone and laptop and put all my stuff in the trunk of my car. The bomb was strapped to the seat next to me. I drove myself to the building and carefully gripped the bomb as I exited the car about a block from the entrance. I knew that this was going to have to be big to catch the attention of everyone so that they didn't just shoot so I walked up with the bomb in hand.

"Hello. I need to have a word with Caius."

"The boss talks to no civilians."

"I'm Edward Masen. I need to have a word."

He picked up his walkie talkie and said "Caius, um…Mr. Masen is here to see you."

I heard the scratchy voice come over the receiver say "WHAT?"

I saw a head poke out of the second floor window and I backed up to get a better look.

"So, you've found us Mr. Masen."

"Yes. And unless you free Bella and give her back to me, this entire place is going to go up in smoke."

**AN: Sorry about this cliffhanger guys but I don't do a lot of them and I figured that it'd be kind of fun to do one for this last chapter. I wrote it as one but I wanted to break it here. One chapter to-go…see you tomorrow! The actual proposal itself is tomorrow! Oh…and I titled the last chapter…"Boom." **


	30. Chapter 30

Boom

_I saw a head poke out of the second floor window and I backed up to get a better look._

"_So, you've found us Mr. Masen."_

"_Yes. And unless you free Bella and give her back to me, this entire place is going to go up in smoke."_

"Those are some pretty threatening words coming from you. You do realize that blowing it up would kill pretty little Bella, don't you?"

"Yes, but I would rather have her die than be tortured by lunatics anymore."

"Won't that bomb of yours kill you too?"

"It doesn't matter. I have nothing to live for without her. At least this way, I take you out too."

"Well, in that case, I think you can just blow us all up."

"You've got to be kidding me. You are willing to let your entire operation go up in smoke?"

"Who says it will? I may be dead but others will continue my work."

"Give Bella back to me!"

"Would you like to see her?"

"Please…"

"Alright."

I looked up and saw Bella looking at me with a gag across her mouth and matted hair with fear in her eyes. She truly was a sight for sore eyes and I was completely in love with her and I wanted to whisk her away from the evil people who held her that instant. Her presence calmed me…just as it had when I had an army of butterflies in my stomach as I was close to proposing.

I was standing at the table waiting for Bella to come up the elevator to see me waiting for her. I was fidgeting constantly, feeling the ring in my pocket and worrying about what she would say or think of all the extravagance. I heard the elevator door bing and I felt my heart go into overdrive. The doors slowly opened and she stepped out of the elevator and my breath caught in my throat. I smiled and walked towards her, wrapping my arms around her.

"Happy anniversary, Bella."

"Edward, this is incredible."

"Nothing but the best." I walked to one of the chairs and held it out for her. Then I moved to sit down.

"I ordered in your favorite."

She lifted the silver lid on the dish that was being kept warm and gasped.

"You really did! Oh thank you!"

"So you like it?"

"No. I love it. I love everything, Edward. The dress, the setting. I mean how much did you have to pay to rent out the Empire State Building?"

"Um…let's not talk, let's enjoy the meal."

She giggled and we ate while making small conversation. For dessert, we shared some gelato and strawberries. I took her hand and led her to the side of the roof.

"It's so beautiful. I've always loved this view ever since I moved here. This is the first time I've been up at night though."

"Really? I find it especially stunning at night."

I wrapped my arm around her and turned her to face me.

"So, do you like all of this?"

"Absolutely. It's all amazing."

"You are amazing, and I can't imagine life without you."

"Edward…"

"Shh. Let me finish. I love you, more than you can possibly begin to imagine. I will never leave you and I want you to be with me for the rest of our lives."

I knelt on one knee and took the ring out and I heard her gasp slightly. "Bella, will you marry me?"

I could see tears in her eyes as she nodded. I smiled and stood up, sliding the ring on her finger as I wrapped my arms around her spinning her around.

Unfortunately, my previous joy at our engagement couldn't help me here.

"Caius, you will lose any chance at getting the funding you need if you let me blow this place up."

"So what are you offering?"

"I'll give you my bank account if you will let her go."

Bella shook her head from the window.

"Give me the information now."

"No. I'll blow the place up. I want Bella first."

"Fine…have her." He picked her up and dropped her out the window. Even with the gag on her I heard her scream. I ran and amazingly caught her, while maintaining my careful grip on the bomb.

"So, what's the information?"

I shouted my bank account information to him as I moved further away from the building. I set Bella down next to me and told her to be ready to run. I then threw the bomb and took off. Bella and I hit the ground as the explosion went off. We got up and got in my car and flew away from the accident.

"What were you thinking? You could've been killed!"

"You nearly were."

"Edward, I was just nearly tortured to death and now we are in a speeding car…where are we going?"

"Greece."

"Why?"

"I need to get us away from here as fast as we can."

"Did you ever think I might not want to go?"

I nearly slammed on the brakes as she said that. "Yes…but I hoped…"

"Hoped that I would forgive you for letting me nearly get killed?"

"Well, yes…but it was an accident."

"I understand…and I actually do forgive you, especially since you have rescued me."

"So you still want to marry me and everything?"

"Of course…what could be more romantic than this? Can we just get married in Greece?"

"Don't you want to invite your parents?"

"Not really…I just want to be with you…"

"Well, there is one problem. We need to live somewhere secretly since I just blew up a building…I figured we could live on one of the Greek isles that I could buy us. Would you mind?"

"No…anything to never have to think about that awful place I was just in again. I will miss my research but I can give instructions on how to finish it from afar."

"I will never let you out of my sight again, dear."

And with that I slowed the car to a stop and leaned over and kissed the girl of my dreams like my life depended on it.

**AN: Well, that's the end of it…no I'm not writing the wedding. It would be ridiculous and clichéd…I would like to tell you a couple things…this story was initially written as something else and I plan on adding a lot to it one day when I don't feel as rushed…it may actually have a different ending…but I like how this came out. Please please please please please review for me and let me know what you think. I am going to take a break from Bella and Edward now…I will write another Twilight fanfic one day fairly soon I hope that actually has all the characters and is much more humorous…so put me on your author alerts if you liked this! Thank you so much for reading! **


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